Silver Star
by dratz-10021
Summary: Kohaku accidentally boards a dangerous pirate ship, led by the deadly captain, Sesshoumaru Daiyoukai! Setting off for an adventure full of excitement and peril, will Kohaku succeed in becoming a pirate as well, or die trying? SesshyKagura, KohakuRin
1. Prolouge

Silver Star (Prologue)

All around the sea was rough, the brutal waves crashing mercilessly against the sandy shoreline, the call of the seagulls overhead drowned with the loud sound of surging water. Up above the sun was covered, hidden behind the massing grayish clouds, heavy with approaching rain. The fresh smell of salt hung freely in the air, the tangy scent stinging, and yet calming at the same time. Towards the horizon, ocean became sky almost instantly, and there was no boundary between the two. A storm was headed that way, looming up above, just waiting to spread terror over the sea, and the port that bordered the constantly thrashing waters.

"There's something out there! In the distance!" a little girl cried, racing to the edge of the beach, waving her arms in the air. The gazes of many others followed, a select few refusing to leave there work, concentration set firmly on what they were already doing. But the child kept on rambling.

"A ship!" she gasped, pointing with one hand. "I think it's a ship!"

Everyone ignored her now.

And still, the object in the distance drew closer, swift and silent on the wind, racing through the icy water at an incredible speed. No one noticed the flag that blew violently in the breeze atop the main mast of the enormous boat, the midnight-black Jolly-Roger.

Sesshoumaru Daiyoukai was only seven at the time, an intelligent, but timid little boy. He clung to his mother's robes tightly, his pale hands shaking a bit; he knew very well what that ship meant… trouble. His golden eyes were huge, pupils wide as he stared out blankly towards the horizon, gaze wandering about over the seas, jolting from the boat all around to the stormy waters. The wind rushed by, tugging on his clothes and hair, his silvery bangs going on a wild dance before his face, the fancy white tail coat of his jacket flying out and fluttering as well. His mother took his tiny hand, leading him quickly back into the house, glancing every so often back out to the sea, while conveying her frightened child up the stairs, their steps both nearly silent as they crept up to the top floor of the mansion. She hushed him quiet, slipping out a silver key from her pocket, turning a sharp corner and sliding a few wall tiles left and right, up and down. She jammed the key into the lock of the secret doorway and led him in, pressing the key into his hand. Soon turning back around and walking swiftly out, she sealed up the entrance again and hurried downstairs.

Sesshoumaru sat down on the floor, looking down at the key his mother had placed in his palm. He knew what it was and how to use it, but he didn't understand why he had been locked in some unfamiliar _place_ all by himself. It was quite frightening for the seven-year-old, sitting completely isolated in a dark, scary room your mother suddenly pushed you into, listening to the now clear screams of torture and constant gunshots coming from outside. There was no window and no light, not a single way of telling where you were in the very big, dark, and scary span. Sesshoumaru fiddled with the key in his hand again. _'Maybe Mother's playing a game with me,'_ he thought, turning the metal over in his palm, the icy blade cold against his skin_. 'Maybe Father's coming back and she wants to surprise me…'_ he hoped that as well, just as a cannon explosion rocked the house, causing him to jump a little. Now, most children of this age would defiantly cry, but not Sesshoumaru Daiyoukai. He hadn't really ever cried at all in his life… he sulked instead, really. Shedding tears was unnecessary to him, and pouting got the message through to Mother without making such a big racket. It was perfectly reasonable.

Instead of bursting into tears, he hugged his legs close to his chest, resting his head down on his knees. He wondered where his mother was, and what was going on. He knew that flag atop the mast of the boat was the sign of a pirate ship, the skull and crossbones gave it away immediately.

Sesshoumaru sniffed slightly, standing quickly and wandering about the room, accidentally running smack into one of the walls, hitting his nose on the cold, hard stone. He fell backwards and aimed a good kick at the wall, only succeeding in injuring his foot. Oh, what a terrible place his mother had chosen to put him!

But he really did hope that his father would return. Only awhile back, on his sixth birthday, Sesshoumaru's father had left, falling in love with another woman and leaving his mother… after that, she'd cried for a week straight, refusing to leave her room, sobbing and turning away whenever she saw Sesshoumaru's face, maybe because he looked just a little like his dad?

"Mother?" Sesshoumaru stood again, his left foot still aching a bit from kicking the wall, but he really didn't care that much. He ran over to where he remembered being let in, but he had no sense of direction anymore. The four walls of the room were exactly the same, and he couldn't make out the entrance in pitch blackness.

Another scream broke outside, a few gunshots and yells echoing over the mansion, spreading fear in its wake.

Sesshoumaru ignored it. "Mother?" he tried again.

Still no answer.

But then downstairs, he could make out the breaking of the door in the main hall, the muffled voices of many men suddenly filling the entire manor with noise.

"Mother!" Sesshoumaru crossed his arms, becoming quite annoyed. Why wasn't she answering him?!

There was another gunshot and the slump of a lifeless body against the floor. One of the waiters, the young boy thought. Then he could hear his mother's voice at last, harsh and commanding, fear still draining through as she growled at them. "Get OUT!!" there was yet another gunshot, and with a lame cry, one of the intruders fell.

Sesshoumaru clapped his hands. _'Oh! Mother must have the rifle…'_ he remembered the treasured weapon that hung in the hallway to her room.

"Damn woman!!" one of his comrades yelled, heavy footsteps pounding up the stairs, the battle cries of the pirates dominant in the air. There was a shrill scream and the weight of a body against the wall to the secret room. The little boy knew that familiar pitch all too well. His golden eyes widened even further in the dark, and for once he felt like crying, but his tears were held back in fury. "MOTHER!! _MOTHER!!_" he pounded his fist on the door, his insignificant voice lost through the shadows… through the crash of cannons and the firing of guns, the screams of victory and fear, and the terror that held the entire area.

Sinking down to the ground, his heartbeat frantic, he realized at last… there was nothing he could do.


	2. The Coming of the Tide

Silver Star, Chapter One

"The Coming of the Tide"

_**Silver Star (Sil-ver Stahr) noun**_

_The North Star, a point at which during any season, day, or time, one can tell the desired direction with the absence of Moon, Sun, and Sky. A symbol. An indicator. A natural compass with one arrow. _

_The virgin male captain who was marked with a sign from the Stars, whose destiny is chained to the sea, but free as the ocean; one whose life is altered greatly a total of 3 times, torn from love and given love again, and has one portion of him broken. _

_The legendary ship said to have come from the time of the Great Leviathan, one carved from the trunk of a tree that lived 500 years or more, a phantom vessel that claims to sail undefeated across the world's oceans, but disappeared soon from records and history. _

--------------------

Kohaku broke out of the crowd at last, his breaths short and gasping for air, his sharp almond eyes weary, darting in every direction as he continued walking, this time slowing down a bit. It had been a successful day. He'd mugged five people, gaining a golden pocket-watch, some sort of jewelry (he wasn't quite sure what it was), and a fair sum of money. That was how he lived his life… for at least a few years now. With both parents dead, he was on his own, forced to steal to live. He didn't really feel guilty about it… how could he when his own survival depended on a few rich bastards loosing a few coins? It wasn't worth worrying about. Looking around again, he was relived to be out of the crowd, for he had been pushed and shoved, jostled around as if an empty box of some sort. Besides that, he couldn't breath very well, for he was only eleven and not very tall, the others around him blocking his air supply. But now, it was all over for today.

The wind was relaxing on his pale freckled face, the stone beneath his feet hard and warm, scorched by the heat of the sun high overhead, the golden rays bright as they fell across the entire port, touching his dark hair gently, glistening among the waves of the wide, wide ocean.

The young boy sighed, skinny hands shoved roughly into his pockets, ragged clothes ruffled in the slight gale that fell from the cloudless sky above, whispering through the leaves of many surrounding palm trees. It was a normal day, sunny but hot, the occasional breeze simple pleasure in the somewhat dry air.

Kohaku slowed to a stop by the docks, gazing up in awe at the ships tethered off the shore, the steady crash of waves in the background echoing the excited beat of his heart. Oh, how he'd love to sail out to sea sometime on one of those!

He put a cautious foot out onto the dock, taking another step, eventually strolling down the wooden pathway, the creak of aging boards irritating as he moved along. All of the ships were marvelous, but there was one, which caught and held his attention. It was truly an astounding vessel, dwarfing all around it, the lustrous shine of the deck and frame boasting its beauty and expert craftsmanship. The sails were pure white and tied up to the mast, the wood in fabulous condition. The hull was flawless and free of barnacles, the main deck decorated with all sorts of complicated objects. Towards the front of the bow, on the left side, the wood was painted with a rather large but delicate silver star… Kohaku continued to stare, blinking his wide brown eyes, his gaze wandering up the main mast, to the crow's nest. _'Strange,'_ he thought, biting the corner of his dry lips. There was no flag. Shrugging the matter off for the time being, he turned at last and started back down to the port, glancing one last time at the magnificent ship. He picked up his pace, beginning to walk a little faster, for it was getting late.

A gunshot suddenly rang in his ears, a few screams from many directions piercing the once peaceful air as well. Kohaku broke into a run, dashing past the shops and carts that lay scattered all over the streets, everything a blur as he darted past, the blood pumping in his ears.

"Pirates!" someone shrieked, the sound of a cannon flashing through the air, the iron ball ripping into one of the weaker buildings and tearing it immediately down.

At that word, Kohaku only began to sprint faster. He knew what pirates were… and he knew very well that they were extremely dangerous. They'd murder and plunder without mercy, leaving no one alive in their angry wake. He knew he had to get somewhere safe… but he knew not of a place in such times as this. Perhaps he should just give up and stop? Accept the fact that he'd probably die, and maybe be spared the honor of being killed as quickly as possible?

No. Adrenaline surged through his body, demanding that he keep running, telling him not to stop… to _never_ stop. He would fight to live, battle to survive. There was no question.

Another cannon ball flooded the air with noise, colliding with one of the palm trees, blasting it clear in two, the top half of the trunk pummeling the ground, crushing all that stood in its path.

Kohaku swallowed hard, frantically changing direction and heading for the shops and houses, thinking maybe he could take cover in of the buildings near the back.

No good. Just as he made his decision, a band of the brigands charged that way, beginning to scorch the structures with fire. The entire village would burn now… there was no way the young boy could hide from danger there.

And just as suddenly as the flames licked the area, its maddening crackle growing louder with each thing engulfed, one single image returned to his mind. _'The ship…'_ he sprinted towards the port, a vision of the star-marked, flagless boat dominant in his thoughts. It was stupid. It was probably the worst decision he'd ever make in his entire life. But it was the only choice; he was all out of ideas.

He could hear his feet pounding rapidly across the dock boards, the vessel marked with the silver star now in view, hope taking flight inside him. Maybe… _just maybe_… there was still a chance. Lost, scared, and confused, he climbed directly up the hull and over the side, flopping hard on his stomach atop the main deck.

The steady clicking of footsteps just barely caught his attention, as Kohaku flipped himself over, crawling towards what appeared to be the cabin. It was yet another dumb thing to do, but the only possibility that crossed the young boy's mind. He finally stood, quietly pulling open the door and creeping inside. He shut it behind him and collapsed, his panting hard as he suddenly realized the strain on his lungs. How long had he been running? The question drifted unanswered in his racing mind, left cheek pressed to the cold wooden floor, his legs and hands numb from fright, his brain bursting in pain. What had happened? What was going on? Kohaku longed to know, but stress and horror immobilized him completely, his body shaking malevolently from shock, tears welling in his wide almond-toned eyes.

Once again Kohaku could hear the striking of boots on the deck floor, and knew he had to conceal himself. Standing straight at last, he managed to pull himself together, swallowing hard and glancing quickly around the room. However, he hadn't realized how… _elaborate _the setting was. The room was much cooler than outside, the atmosphere calm and somewhat pleasant. There was a dimming oil lamp in the corner of a rather large desk, which sat near the back, piled with what looked like many maps, a compass, a quill and ink bottle, and a rather rusted and old-looking, but large silver key; the very same shade of the star that lay painted on the side of the ship. A stool accompanied the table, standing a little off to the side. There were many robust chests of many sizes against the walls of the room, all of which were closed. A few items of clothing were scattered across the mattress and hung on the posts of a fairly large and lavish looking bed, the quality of the one someone might find in a rich manor. Expensive cloth hung from the bottom of the frame and draped onto the floor, ruffled and pale, just like the sheets. There were other things about as well, but Kohaku dare not take notice of them. Instead, he dove under the bed, for there was just enough room between the bottom and the ground. He squeezed through, concealing himself behind the fabric that hung on all four sides, sneezing and breaking into a coughing fit when quite a bit of dust rose up and tickled his nose.

The door opened, and Kohaku was forced to hold his breath to cover his constant rasping.

"Tell them to raise the anchor. We're leaving," a deep, cold voice made its way to the boy's ear, mysterious and nonchalant, just as his eyes began to water. He couldn't stand it down here for much longer!

"Yes, Captain," someone else answered, and the door swung shut once more.

Kohaku nearly panicked. _'We're leaving,'_ those words echoed in his mind, obliterating his other thoughts completely. Would he never see home again? What would happen to him? He knew he'd have to show himself eventually, so how would this crew react when they knew he'd accidentally stowed away on their ship? Would they kill him? Would they throw him overboard? Nightmares were reborn as the boy shivered, trying his best to keep completely quiet and still.

But the dust was madly attacking his allergies, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before he let loose a terrible sneeze, or suffocate in the filth and be forced to crawl out. Kohaku wondered what would happen to him, the horrid things that would be done no matter how the situation turned out.

The ship lurched suddenly, rocking as it sailed out from the port, free once again on the boundless seas. Kohaku gritted his teeth to keep from squealing, nearly rolling out into the open, but determined to stay put, he anchored himself to where he lay. He thought maybe if he ran out now and jumped overboard, he could swim back to shore. But where were the pirates? What if they were still back at the port, destroying everything?

He made his decision then. With the pirates gone or not, he _would_ get back. Only the heavens knew what would happen to him if he stayed here any longer. Taking a deep (dust filled) breath and tensing his body, he scooted out from under the bed, making a mad dash for the door, his heart thumping in his chest, his mind set on getting back, no matter what.

But he was then hoisted off the ground by a powerful hand, long pointed nails digging into the back of his neck. He thrashed and kicked, but his possessor held on tight, the grasp firm and sassy. The very same voice from before was clear in the steady air, an angry hiss, icy and cryptic.

"_Boy, who do you think you are..?_"


	3. Wave Break

Silver Star, Chapter Two

"Wave Break"

Kohaku couldn't answer. Fear overcame him, sweeping swiftly across his body, dark and ominous like a drifting shadow. He could hear his blood pumping violently in his ears, adrenaline racing through him as he lashed out yet again. A single tear streamed down his freckled face, an insignificant trail of water left behind after it fell, hammering the wooden floor below. The echo of that icy voice still sent shivers down his spine, the claw-like fingers around his neck beginning to tighten, cutting off his oxygen supply. Now panicking, Kohaku threw a punch, his fist merely deflected by an arrogant slap, the same sharp talons raking at his wrist, drawing a few drops of blood.

"One such as I cannot tolerate going unheard…" his captor spoke again, their tone emotionless and deep like before, an almost inaudible growl rumbling from the back of their throat.

"Let… me… _go_…" the boy gasped for air now, completely ignoring the other comment, his voice coated over in terror, choking on his own sentence.

He was suddenly thrown across the room, colliding with the wall on the other side, a few items dropping off the top of the desk nearby.

Kohaku's entire body was numb with pain, his teeth clenched as well in agony. Dark bangs falling in his face, he forced himself up, arms shaking, threatening to collapse under him, allow him to plummet pathetically to the hard wood floor.

"Well..?" the same dead-pan pitch was clear in the room.

Erratically getting to his feet, Kohaku looked up at last, finally getting a good look at the other man.

He was tall and slender, leaning back slightly against the other wall, his arms crossed over a fairly strapping chest, lips pursed a bit as he glared hard at the boy, golden eyes flaring dangerously with the might of the sun. His skin was pale and cold, his hair near-perfect and extraordinarily long, swaying down by his thighs, glistening silver in the dimming orange glow of the oil lamp that perched on the corner of the desk. Across his forehead was a navy-blue crescent moon, both cheeks decorated with two crimson stripes. The expression sweeping his features was unreadable, some cryptic message locked in the gaze he chose to shoot in silence. Atop his head was a fancy three-pointed leather hat, a large pearly crescent moon, similar to the one above his brow, sewn into the right corner, a pretty peacock feather sticking out on the other end, flitting about with each of his minor movements. His lavish clothes where a bit worn and tattered here and there, a few rips in the cloth often visible. His coat was originally white, now stained with dust and labor, his dress shirt also covered with minor blotches of dried blood and such. Across his skinny waist was a large brown belt, made from a strong and durable leather, a sword and pistol resting at his side. His pastel-colored pants clearly represented the Japanese Hakama, coverings his long legs entirely. There were many other accessories Kohaku took notice of, including a crescent moon-shaped earring that dangled from his left ear, many immoderate rings on both his hands, and a pair of elaborate hide-skin boots.

His knees shaking yet again beneath him, Kohaku bit his lip. Clearly this was no average sea man… and by the dreaded looks of it… he appeared to be a pirate.

But the boy couldn't be sure just yet, the racing beat of his heart thumping wildly in his chest, confusion and fear soon overwhelming him.

Maybe he could possibly reason with this stranger? Perhaps they'd understand it was only a mistake that he had ended up on their ship?

Deciding it might be his only chance, Kohaku decided to give it a try.

Making a slight bow he began his sentence, voice trembling and nervous. "Um… Sir?"

The man merely raised an eyebrow in reply, reaching for the long sword at his hip, the metal gleaming in the weak light as he pulled it from his belt, pressing the tip against Kohaku's neck.

Eyes widening as horror struck him yet again, the young boy swallowed hard, no words able to find their way from his lips.

The stranger simply sighed, staring down as if the encounter was nothing at all, a childish matter that could be solved just with the penalty of a useless death.

"I'm still waiting for your answer, boy," he hissed, threatening to split Kohaku's throat, should he choose not to reply.

The plain hatred in his voice was even enough to chill Kohaku to the bone, the constant enigmatic manner at which he spoke becoming maddening.

However, the child couldn't find the right thing to say, the possible correct answer this stranger wanted.

His opponent suddenly drew his sword away, frowning, some unknown matter being mulled upon in his head. "Perhaps you could be of some use to me," he murmured, almost to himself.

Kohaku bolted for the door right then, managing to elude him this time, running out onto the deck and immediately skidding over to the side of the ship. Many heads turned his way, cruel and untrusting gazes cast, everyone aboard the vessel looking to the little boy, locking him in the middle of chaos.

And flapping freely in the wind atop the main mast, was their insignia; the shadowed flag that spelled death for all who dared to approach, the Jolly Roger.

Now Kohaku understood. _These_ were the brigands that had plundered the port, the outlaws that had killed and laughed at all who fell at their feet.

And their conceited captain strolled gracefully out from his cabin, the one with the long silver hair and the icy golden gaze. An undefeated man of pride and power; a pirate feared across all seven seas.

They called him Sesshoumaru Daiyoukai. ((--See _Author's Note_ at the bottom of the page.--))

Kohaku darted towards the starboard side of the ship, his legs quick and agile as he nearly reached the edge, but was seized by one of the crew.

"What duh ya want done with 'im, Cap'in?" they called.

"Kill 'im!!" jeered one of his crewmates.

"Roast 'im!!" bellowed another.

Sesshoumaru carefully combed a claw through his hair, his dead-pan features remaining true across his expressionless face.

"_Silence_," his words were spoken, he didn't even need to raise his powerful voice. Everyone heard him when he spoke. And everyone obeyed.

Looking around his ship, the Captain bowed his head, the peacock feather placed in his hat swaying a bit with the movement.

"What is your name?" he looked the boy in the eye, who was still struggling helplessly against the arms holding him down.

"K-Kohaku…" he muttered, wishing that he'd never seen the ship in the first place… for if he hadn't, he wouldn't be in this impossible mess.

Sesshoumaru nodded slowly in reply.

He then turned on his heels and began walking up to the wheel, his long fingers wrapping around a pair of the handles, his golden gaze out to the bow.

"Gentlemen," he looked down to the main deck, at the many crew members scrabbling to their positions. "Kohaku will be staying here with us," he ignored the many grumbles and moans of protest. "After all…" he added, a tinge of humor in his normally flat voice. "We need a new cabin boy."

The pirates burst out laughing at that.

"Come with me," Sesshoumaru sauntered down from his place at the wheel, aiming a hard glare to Kohaku. No one was holding him now. He could either jump overboard, or obey his order.

The boy balled two fists, thinking matters over. Stay here with the pirates, or swim back to the shore and continue his pathetic ways of survival. Maybe Sesshoumaru had just offered him a chance… a _new_ life. But did he want to be a buccaneer? One who murdered and jeered at their rivals; one whose name would be feared? One whose head would offer a generous award to anyone who slew him?

He wasn't sure.

Sesshoumaru interrupted, clearing his throat, tapping his boot heel hard on the deck.

"Oh…" Kohaku ran towards him, the very man who had attempted to kill him earlier.

The clicking of Sesshoumaru's footsteps rang out over the entire ship, his amble graceful and proper, the way he touched his boot to the deck sassy and egotistical.

Kohaku watched his fancy walk as they moved along, wondering how self-confident a man could possibly get.

The Captain soon opened the door to his cabin, motioning Kohaku inside, his posture still polished with dignity, the wave of his hand perfectly refined.

Kohaku made a small bow and dipped back into the room, almost stepping on one of the maps that had fallen from the desk before. He gingerly picked it up in his hands, the parchment rough and worn under his nimble fingers, his almond eyes scanning the contents of the two-foot-long page. Unable to really recognize the many shapes, scribbles, and marks all over the map, he tentatively placed it down on the bed, turning back around and facing Sesshoumaru once again.

"Are you sure about this?" The Captain questioned, pacing quickly in behind him and shutting the door.

"What do you mean?" Kohaku answered, cocking his head to the side a bit.

"Well," Sesshoumaru scoffed, smacking the heel of his leather boots to the floor with a sharp crack. "You could turn back. Go home. Forget we ever met and move on?"

"Why haven't you killed me yet?" the boy asked, imploring his own query. "I though pirates took pleasure in murder?"

"Perhaps," Sesshoumaru took the map off his bed and placed it back in its proper position atop his desk.

"But I don't understand!" Kohaku exclaimed, watching him toss the paper on the table.

Sesshoumaru furrowed his brow. "Life is in fact a puzzling matter, yes."

Kohaku slapped a hand to his head. The riddles in which this man chose to embed his words were quite irritating. Or maybe it was just his way of speaking. Unsure of the situation, Kohaku gave up and decided to let him ask the questions from here on out.

"You still haven't answered me," Sesshoumaru sighed, after a short period of silence, the wind heard rushing by outside, blowing into the wide white sails, allowing the ship to travel at an alarming speed. The boat rocked a bit as their velocity increased, but the waves soon became smoother, the bow cutting through the water like a blistering knife.

"I… I don't know…" Kohaku admitted timidly, hanging his head. He was, after all, clueless. The life of a pirate, or a thief? A life on sea or land?

"Is that your answer?"

Kohaku bit his lip. Exactly what did Sesshoumaru mean by that?

What would it be for him? A life of adventure and danger, or the boring same-old-same-old? Taking a deep breath and thinking it all over yet again, Kohaku looked Sesshoumaru in the eye, the Captain's shimmering golden glare proving dominant and strong.

"I'm coming with you," he decided, with a firm nod. It was too late to turn back now.

"Very well," said Sesshoumaru.

Author's Note: "_Why I used 'Daiyoukai' for Sesshoumaru's last name."_

First of all, I want to clarify that I had no intention of copying anyone with that, should it be that another author used that last name for him. There was a reason I chose that name for Sesshoumaru. I was originally going to make his last name _'Doku'_ which means _'Poison'_ in Japanese, because of his fighting technique _"Dokkasou"_ or _"Toxic Flower Claw"_. But that just didn't sound right to me… _Sesshoumaru Doku_. I wanted a name that showed he had power, and something that had a ring to it. Since his first name is so long, I wanted something also long and catchy for his last name. I chose _'Daiyoukai'_ for a couple of reasons. One, he IS, a Daiyoukai, so it made a lot of sense to me for bringing out his social position. Second, because of its meaning. _'Youkai'_ does not mean _'demon'_ (I know the English InuYasha dubs called them that). The actual translation is _'spirit'_, _'ghost'_, or _'phantom'_. I chose the_ 'spirit' _part to represent Sesshoumaru. I think it resembles his own freedom, and pride of simply being himself. The _'spirit'_ (if you will) of his unique and partially narcissistic personality. _'Dai'_ can mean a number of things, including: _reign, generation, title, serious, very (much),_ or _lifetime_. You can put together meanings with those definitions on your own. Also, in Japan, during the warring period, _Dai_myo were powerful Japanese overlords. Further more, his last name plays a crucial roll in the plot later on.

Thank-you dearly for your time! Please continue to read and enjoy the rest of story! )

Rhian


	4. Blood on the Horizon

Silver Star, Chapter Three

"Blood on the Horizon"

Kohaku's eyes widened; what had he just done? What sort of fate had he pinned himself to? The question went unanswered in his head, the mere image of a pirate ship sailing through the oceans drowning all his other thoughts in the treacherous waters.

"Why the silence, boy?" Sesshoumaru asked all of a sudden, shattering Kohaku's mirage, pulling him from his mind and setting him back to reality.

"N-nothing, Sir…" the child replied timidly, his almond gaze aimed for the ground.

Sesshoumaru seized him by the collar, holding him high above the ground, venom in his voice as he spoke, his golden eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, his grip exceedingly powerful. "Call me _Captain_, boy."

"Aye, aye," Kohaku did his best to answer in a pirate-like fashion.

Captain Daiyoukai set him back down on his feet with a firm nod. He took a graceful step towards his desk, snatching the silver key off the surface with a single swipe of his claw, then spun around on his heels and started towards one of the many chests lying on the floor of the cabin.

Kohaku watched with interest, wondering what the man was going to do.

The Captain leaned down and jammed the key into the lock of one of the coffers, turning it with a click and lifting the lid.

"Leave me…" Sesshoumaru spat abruptly, aiming a kick in Kohaku's direction, his fancy boots colliding rashly with the boy's heel.

The lad ran from the Cabin and shut the door, a blast of salty sea air sure to greet him when he looked out over ship, the horizon now stained red and orange, the bright sun setting into the endless ocean, the waves crashing against the hull, foam spurting up near the bow, a refreshing spray of icy water.

The winds were rough and cold, buffeting Kohaku as he slumped back against the door, blinking slowly.

What had been in that chest Sesshoumaru was keeping, he wondered…

The Jolly Roger flapped in the gale overhead atop the crow's nest, pitch black in the sky, fitting for the dark night soon to come. The slapping of the fine cloth filled Kohaku's ears, along with the chatter and bustle of the crew, all running about the deck, attending their posts and making sure all was well aboard the ship.

It really was a fine vessel, Kohaku noted at last, for he hadn't really a good chance to look at this ship before, besides his visit back at the port. He'd never been able to examine it while actually on board.

The _Silver Star_ was a large and hefty boat, the crew and Captain proving just as troublesome and robust as the ship itself, hardworking and determined, the sure victors in any sea skirmish. The sails were unscathed, a silent pearly white as they danced in the gusts that blew their way, catching the wind and speeding up the fine craft, masts thick and strong, entirely suitable for supporting them. The rigging was done perfectly, every knot tight, each rope in place. The bridge was great as well, of coarse running the entire beam of the ship, the steering wheel placed neatly in the middle, painted over with gold and clearly polished. Cannons were in position on the main deck, tied carefully to the edges of the ship, tethered there to prevent rolling. Kohaku couldn't wait to see the hold, for he wondered what sort of things pirates carried down below the deck, what sort of loot and stores they may posses.

"Aye! What'cha standin' there for, boy? Get ta work!" one of the pirates shouted from up on the poop deck, his hands placed fiercely on the wheel, his gaze momentarily shifting to Kohaku before bolting back out towards the fore.

The only problem was… Kohaku didn't know what he was supposed to be doing.

He knew he'd heard Sesshoumaru mention something about a _'Cabin Boy'_ earlier on, but he had no clue as to what that meant.

"Umm…" he made his way up the stairs and over to the buccaneer, the echoing sound of his heavy footsteps on the deck ringing out into the sunset-painted sky. "What _am_ I suppose to do?" he questioned hesitantly, biting the corner of his lip.

The man burst out laughing and waved him away, once again concentrating on directing the ship.

"Useless cur," Kohaku heard him mumble.

The boy sighed, his dark hair many wisps of brown as another breeze picked up, trapped in the sails, speeding up the _Silver Star_ even more.

Stuck aboard a pirate ship and now clueless. What was an eleven-year-old child to do?

He began to wonder when he'd ever see land again, and was starting to regret ever agreeing to come along.

There was one question, over all, which haunted him far more than anything else.

_Why? _

Why had Sesshoumaru spared and allowed him to join the crew, when he was of little, or no use at all?

Why did he suddenly feel excited and wanting for an action-filled adventure?

Why had he joined anyway?

Why was everything confusing and seeming extremely difficult from here on out?

Why was he even _here_?

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of all these annoying matters. The wind howled in his ears again, a spray of foam dashing his face with feint trails of salty water.

"Sesshoumaru… I don't understand…" he spoke to himself, his words a mere unheard whisper as he sat down on an unopened crate placed on top the deck.

"_Captain Daiyoukai_ to_ you_, Kohaku," something jabbed him hard in the back, Sesshoumaru standing tall and proud behind him, the hilt of his sword pushed brutally into the boy's vertebrae.

"Ouch!" Kohaku leaped up, spinning around and making a sloppy bow to his commander.

"Aye," Sesshoumaru flipped the rapier promptly in his talon and stuck it back in his belt. "Let us be thankful I didn't use the blade," he furrowed his brow as Kohaku swallowed hard, already imagining the sharpened tip of the weapon splitting his pale skin, a shiver bleeding down his spine.

"To work, Kohaku," Daiyoukai commanded, about to turn and start off, but the boy persistently raced up in his way.

"Captain Daiyoukai?" Kohaku twiddled his thumbs as he spoke, knowing all too well that this man was incredibly dangerous.

Sesshoumaru raised a steady eyebrow in response, although he was annoyed that Kohaku had dared to block his path.

"Um… if you don't mind… what _am_ I suppose to be doing?" the boy continued, wanting to get this over with a quickly as possible. He wasn't sure about Sesshoumaru. He seemed deadly, quick-witted, and defiantly formidable, but there was some adventurous side to him. A side Kohaku could get used to.

"Don't ask stupid questions," Sesshoumaru replied coolly, waving Kohaku away with his right hand, the many rings upon it gleaming maliciously in the dimming light of the crimson setting sun.

It almost sounded as if Daiyoukai were _scolding_ him…

"I'm sorry, Captain," Kohaku made a curt bow, the spot where Sesshoumaru had stabbed him earlier still aching a bit, sending a sharp jolt vibrating down his spine.

A strong hand patted his shoulder, nearly breaking the pain where it was, sending it away and replacing it with a warm stroke, an eager and adventurous touch.

"You're a decent boy, Kohaku," Sesshoumaru said quietly, his golden eyes sparkling ingeniously, glinting in the dimming light, the shadows thrust over his face seeming to hide the meaning in his words.

Kohaku shook his head. Up until now everyone was pretty much acting as if he were futile.

"I sense your doubt," Sesshoumaru gave a stiff nod.

"Oh…" Kohaku looked away from him and over the side of the ship, the waves crashing against the side as the vessel sped valiantly through the water. He knew of no other way to reply.

Sesshoumaru began to speak. "As Cabin Boy…" he glared at Kohaku, making sure he was paying attention. "…it is your job to serve myself and the officers aboard this ship," he tapped a claw to the hilt of his cutlass sword, his fingers brushing against the smart flintlock pistol also at his hip.

Kohaku nodded in reply.

"It is your duty to do what is asked of you, when it is asked of you," Daiyoukai went on nonchalantly.

Kohaku stayed in tune, trying to make the most sense of what his Captain was telling him. He figured this was probably the most he'd ever get out of Sesshoumaru, and was willing to make use of it.

"And if you refuse to do as I or others order you…" Sesshoumaru grinned, two inch-long canines dropping from the roof of his mouth on either side, gleaming in the last bit of sunlight. "I'll have ye _flogged _for being disobedient."

"Aye, aye…" Kohaku swallowed hard. He didn't exactly know what being _'flogged' _meant, but by the way Sesshoumaru used it and his sassy tone of voice, it sounded quite horrible.

"Another thing, Kohaku," Sesshoumaru looked out into the distance, his long, silver hair tussled in the wind, many blustering pearly strands as he sighed lightly.

"Lose the landlubber accent," he gently closed his eyes, already knowing his pirate vocabulary was rather mild compared to the rest of his crew.

"Yes, Captain," Kohaku nodded, unsure of what a _landlubber_ was as well.

Sesshoumaru smirked lightly to himself, his pale skin looking even more ghastly in the twilight, his expression calm and cryptic.

"Be prepared to kill, Kohaku," he warned.

"Kill?" the boy repeated, looking fairly taken aback.

"Aye," Sesshoumaru strolled back into his cabin, soon reappearing with another, smaller rapier in his talons. He handed it carefully to Kohaku, his gaze stern as the child took the sword cautiously, holding the hilt delicately with both hands.

"It's one of the many things we're known for, boy," he drew his own weapon from beside his waist, the metal glistening, longing for blood to drip down the blade.

Kohaku nodded in agreement, unsure of what Sesshoumaru was getting at.

"Know how to murder… how to resist the screaming cry of your victim. You cannot pity them," Sesshoumaru pointed the cutlass towards Kohaku's heart, the point a mere inch from his flesh.

Kohaku took a sudden step back, his heartbeat frantic.

"Fight me, Kohaku," Sesshoumaru growled, pinning him back against the ship's side. He gestured out into the sunset, the painted sky an evil crimson red, night just about to overtake the ocean and plunge all into long, deadly darkness.

"Do you see that, Kohaku?" The Captain held his sword firmly before him, in a blocking stance now. "That color on the horizon?"

Kohaku answered weakly. "Aye."

"Get used to that color," Sesshoumaru said gravely. "For _that_ is the color of blood."

Author's Note: _"A Guide To Pirate Sayings, Part One."_

I thought that everyone could use a good guide to what I call "Pirate Talk", for some things can get a little confusing for people, and other times, you might just need to check a word I use here. These are common sayings used among buccaneers, and a few are also regular phrases that any seaman might employ. I tried to put them in alphabetical order. And I may add more on in further chapters, if I feel the need to do so and something isn't mentioned here. )

**Aft** -- Short for "after." Toward the rear of the ship. (Opposite of the Fore.)

**Ahoy** – Common pirate greeting.

**Avast!** – Kind of a "Hey!" or "Yo!"

**Aye – **Pirate version of "Yes."

**Beam – **The width of the ship.

**Begad!** – Sort of "By God!" Used for exclamation.

**Bilge – **(1)Nonsense. (2) The bilge of a ship is the lowest part, inside the hull and along the keel.

**Bilge Rat** – Nasty insult.

**Bow – **The front end of a ship. (Opposite of the Stern.)

**Buccaneer** – Very general term for a Caribbean pirate. Commonly used interchangeably with the word "pirate".

**Cap'n** or **Cap'in **-- Short for "Captain."

**Cat** – a special whip used for flogging.

**Chase** -- The ship being pursued, or literally 'chased'. "The chase is making full sail, Captain!" Kind of means "The ship we are going after is attempting to escape!"

**Crow's nest** -- A small (sometimes circular) platform, near the top of the main mast, where a lookout could have a better view when watching for sails or for land.

**Cur – **An insult. Kind of like 'dog'. As in: "Ye thieving cur!"

**Cutlass** – A traditional pirate curved sword. It has only one cutting edge, the other is flat.

**Davy Jones' locker** -- The bottom of the sea. A pirate's version of "Hell".

**Dog** -- A mild insult. Example: "Ye worthless dog!"

**Doubloon** -- A Spanish gold coin. Common pirate currency.

**Gangplank –** The plank that is lain and used to get from the ship to the dock, or vise-versa.

**Gangway!** – Literally: "Get out of my way!" or "Move!"

**Grog** – Generally, any sort of drink containing alcohol. Sometimes diluted rum that has water stirred in to make more so the stash will last longer.

**Fore**, or **forrard** -- Toward the front end of the ship. (Opposite of the Aft.)

**Flogging** – A form of pirate punishment. Being whipped with the Cat.

**Jolly Roger** -- The traditional pirates' skull-and-crossbones flag. Usually has a black background.

**Keelhaul** – Severe form of pirate punishment by dragging a crew member across the hull of the ship. Towards the end, the victim would either be half-drowned, or dangerously marred by the barnacles that grow along the bottom of the ship.

**Landlubber** or just **lubber** – Sometimes an insult. Someone not accustomed to sailing and fond of the land.

**Line** -- A rope used in part of the ship's rigging.

**Maroon** – A fairly well known punishment where the victim is left stranded on a deserted island to die (starve).

**Me** – The pirate way of saying "My" or "Mine". Example: "I be lookin' for me treasure now."

**Mate/Matey** – Common way for a pirate to address someone in a rather friendly way.

**Piece of eight** -- A Spanish silver coin. Common pirate currency.

**Pillage** – To raid and possibly destroy a port or other object at shore.

**Poop deck** -- The highest deck at the aft end of a large ship. Runs the entire beam. Above the Captain's quarters.

**Port** -- (1) A seaport. (2) The left side of the ship.

**Poxy /poxed** -- Diseased. Ill. Dirty. Used as an insult. As in: "Ye poxed scum!!"

**Reef** – To "Reef the sails" means to tie them up partially.

**Rigging – **The arrangement of ropes, sails, yards, and spars of a ship.

**Rum** -- Traditional pirate drink. Alcoholic.

**Scurvy** -- (1) A deficiency disease which often afflicted sailors, caused by lack of vitamin C. (2) An insult. Example: "Ye scurvy bilge rats!"

**Shiver me timbers!** -- An expression of surprise or strong emotion. Kind of like "Holly heck!"

**Spar – **The pole used for supporting a sail.

**Starboard** -- The right side of the ship.

**Stern – **The back of a ship. (Opposite of the Bow.)

**Swab **– (1) To clean the decks, sometimes a low level of punishment. (2) An insult. As in: "Ye spineless swab!"

**Wench** – A female. Sometimes used with the intention of being very rude.

**Ye **– Pirate's way of saying "You".

**Yard** – A spar, extending from one side of the ship to the other, used for carrying sails.


	5. Tomorrow's Sun

Silver Star, Chapter Four

"Tomorrow's Sun"

"B-blood?" Kohaku glanced timidly at the rapier in his shaking hands, the very one Sesshoumaru had given him.

"Aye," the Captain widened his stance, his golden eyes steely and sparkling mysteriously in the drifting shadows. He gracefully swung his own sword through the air, the blade whispering through the darkness that now encased them in night, the warm, orange glow from the cabin the only source of light.

"Why must I fight you?" the boy pleaded, fear pounding to the beat of his heart, racing hysterically in his chest, his blood pumping loud in his ears.

He didn't want to be hurt…

And he didn't want to hurt Sesshoumaru…

"No worries, Kohaku," Daiyoukai said casually, waving his cutlass in a taunting manner through the black air. "Neither of us shall die tonight."

The way he chose to word it only scared Kohaku even more.

"Wh-what do you mean?!" Kohaku implored, backing away from Sesshoumaru, his rapier held out defensively.

Sesshoumaru ignored him.

"Come for me, boy," his voice was icy and deep, his eyes flaring like fire in the night… burning.

How much anger could one man hold locked within him till he burst?

How much pain could one man endure, with scars on his body and embedded in his mind, before he fell?

That look in Daiyoukai's eyes…

Kohaku knew not the importance of it, but at last a hint of emotion was blazing in the glare cast for him.

It _meant_ something.

The novice pirate dared to step foreword, his entire boy quaking, hot sweat running slick down his brow, his almond-toned eyes scared.

The glow from the cabin behind Sesshoumaru outlined the Captain's skinny silhouette, everything else a sickening blur all around him.

Despite that… he still couldn't see clearly enough.

He heard the planks creaking a bit, a signal that Daiyoukai had decided to make his move. Kohaku desperately thrust out his blade, the sword only thudding into one of the masts, locked tightly and embedded in the wood. Try as he might, the cabin boy could not draw it from the sturdy pole again.

"You can't see me, can you, boy?" Sesshoumaru solicited bluntly, slowing to a walk by Kohaku's side his cutlass lowered, still gripped tightly in his claws.

Kohaku pathetically shook his head. "No, Captain."

Daiyoukai sighed quietly, just as Kohaku began to wonder how in the world _his commander_ could possibly see, if _he_ himself could stupidly mistake the ship's mast for another person.

Sesshoumaru slipped his rapier back into his belt, turning on his heels and clacking his boots to the deck with a sharp rap, sauntering back towards his quarters.

"We shall resume this fight in the morning," he said nonchalantly, motioning for Kohaku to follow. "…Before you go destroying the rest of my ship."

The boy obeyed his order, blushing in embarrassment, the blade still sticking out from one of the masts of the Silver Star.

Sesshoumaru opened the door to his cabin, a beam of ginger-colored light creeping down past his feet, sweeping over part of the deck in complete silence, the silvery moon high above the roaring sea glistening with its own brilliant pearly radiance.

Setting himself down on the fair and lavish bed, the Captain took one of the many maps in his hands, golden eyes staring down at the old parchment, reading it carefully.

By god, his gaze could have easily burned right through the thing.

"Sit," he motioned over to the mattress beside him, where Kohaku gingerly took his place, trying his absolute best not to disturb his commander.

The atmosphere became much more pleasant, the room much warmer than outside, the wind howling mercilessly across the ocean, buffeting all in its wake.

Sesshoumaru furrowed his brow, leaning a bit closer to the paper in his hands, although he said nothing.

How late was it, Kohaku wondered? How long had it been since he crawled aboard this very ship, and joined the reckless pirates? And here he was already, loyally at his captain's side, ready to obey his every command, ready to carry out the stealthy plans laid out, or made up along the way. Sesshoumaru certainly wasn't the nicest individual someone could meet, but he was gentle and somewhat understanding with his crew, a good and hardy captain. He was strict but usually quiet, rough yet cautious. His mind worked in a strange way. An interesting way.

Kohaku decided then that he was quite comfortable with Sesshoumaru. Pirate or not, he seemed a good man.

"What is that?" he finally broke the silence, pointing timidly to the parchment Daiyoukai held. "I mean…" he added in. He already knew it was a map. But what of?

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, momentarily looking up to Kohaku.

"What's the map of?" the cabin boy continued lamely, cocking his head to the side a bit.

He was curious. Nothing more.

"Nowhere," Sesshoumaru answered stiffly.

Kohaku blinked slowly. "But that's impossible!" he gasped, exasperated. "You can't have a map of _nowhere_!"

"Yes you can," Daiyoukai argued, a scoffing tone in his voice.

"How?" Kohaku beseeched.

His Captain placed the map down on his bed with care, his violent gaze shifting over to the boy. "Simple," he snapped.

"_How_?" Kohaku asked again.

Daiyoukai smirked lightly to himself, standing abruptly and pacing slowly about the room, both hands held arrogantly behind his back.

"Technically…" he started, beginning to clear his throat.

"…We _are_ 'nowhere'. The human race merely depicted points in our world to communicate where we stand," he stared down to his feet then back up again.

"And how to position ourselves. If we didn't do this," he narrowed his eyes a bit.

"We'd all be forever lost. No one would know where _'here'_ or _'there'_ was, or any place other than where they were right at that moment," he glared hard at Kohaku.

"Do I make myself clear?"

The boy nodded, swallowing hard.

Sesshoumaru sighed.

"Also," he started up again, looking down at the map.

"_This_ was retrieved along with my ship, acquired from the Stars themselves," he made a graceful gesture out his window and to the blackened universe above.

What he had just said made no sense what-so-ever to Kohaku, but it meant something important … _that_, the boy was sure of.

The meaning behind the sentence was a mystery, but whatever riddle Sesshoumaru had incorporated into his words was maddening. _'From the Stars'?_ What in all the heavens could that possibly mean?!

Sesshoumaru promenaded back over to the bed, pressing a finger down onto the map lain out beside Kohaku.

"_We_ are _here_," he said.

"How do you know?" Kohaku questioned, looking to where his nail had been pressed to the parchment.

Daiyoukai simpered another time, his massive canines showing through his barely parted lips. He shoved Kohaku off the mattress, watching him crumple to the floor before shooting back up again, getting hastily to his feet.

"Come," he pushed open the door to his cabin and strolled leisurely out.

Kohaku obediently followed, eager to find out how Sesshoumaru could _possibly_ figure their exact location on his unique map of _"Nowhere"._

Daiyoukai headed for the bow of the ship, his footsteps going unheard across the deck, his usually loud boots now quiet, glazed over with the surrounding darkness.

He stopped at the very front, hoisting himself up onto the bowsprit, glancing back casually at his new cabin boy.

Kohaku merely tipped his head a bit to the side.

"Look up," Sesshoumaru said calmly, aiming his own golden gaze to the cloudless heavens above, the moonlight shimmering off the surface of the water, dancing; the countless and breathtaking stars twinkling high in the infinite blackness.

"Oh!" Kohaku exclaimed, nearly toppling over backwards, his almond eyes amazed as he stared forever out and beyond. He'd never seen the sky like this before.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" Daiyoukai whispered, kicking his legs a bit from where he sat out on the thin spar.

"Yes!" Kohaku agreed, nodding excitedly, wishing he could reach out and touch them all.

Sesshoumaru nodded in approval, extending his arm out, pointing elegantly to one Star in particular, a big and bright one.

A single one that seemed to rule all the others, dwarf them in its magnificent superiority.

"Why are you showing me this?" the boy asked, although he was simply thrilled.

His Captain fiddled with the leather hat atop his head, the stylish peacock feather dancing as he moved it about, catching the moonlight as he weaved it around his fingers.

"You needed to see it," he replied indifferently, shrugging.

"Why?"

"Because you asked about the map. I was under the impression you desired to know how I could pinpoint our location…" Daiyoukai sighed another time and ran a talon through his hair.

"Oh…" Kohaku lowered his head a little.

"_That_," he pointed to the bigger, dazzling star. The one that conquered all the rest… the one that seemed to rule the night-time sky.

"_That_ is the _Silver Star_," the breeze blew through his bangs, his eyes closing in pleasure as he took a deep, silent breath.

"The Silver Star?" Kohaku echoed. That was the name of Sesshoumaru's ship…

"Aye," his Captain leaped back onto the deck, his boots hitting the planks with a sharp crack.

"Others call it the '_North Star'_."

Now the _'North Star'_ sounded very familiar to Kohaku.

"Then why do you call it something different?" he asked, inquisitive once again.

A look of thought swept Sesshoumaru's features, his fabulous golden eyes glistening with a hidden answer as he blinked slowly, a careful frown tugging down on the corners of his lips.

"Aye, the landlubbers may call it by a fraud term… but its _true_ name is indeed, _The Silver Star_…" he growled in response, brow furrowing.

Kohaku was still confused.

"But…" he shook his head. "Then why doesn't everyone else call it that? How come you're the only one?"

He didn't believe Sesshoumaru. He _couldn't_ believe Sesshoumaru.

A spark of some sort was set off in Daiyoukai's dangerous glare, a fire of knowledge and adventure.

What was the man thinking, Kohaku wondered…

His Captain sighed yet again, parting his mouth in a slight snarl, his canine teeth now showing. He tapped his foot hard on the deck, then placed his hands gently behind his back.

"Kohaku… I will tell you," he hissed, some sort of malice in his voice.

"The legend of the Silver Star."


	6. Yesterday's Pain

Silver Star, Chapter Five

"Yesterday's Pain"

Both males stood in silence for awhile, the dark winds rushing past, their hair tussled playfully in the sudden gale, the reefed sails also flapping. The moonlight reflected off the surface of the ever-churning waters, rippling this way and that with grace, the silvery beams resting in Sesshoumaru's sharp golden eyes, fixed hard at the boy.

The silence that covered the area was short, for Daiyoukai soon parted his lips to speak, Kohaku setting himself down on the deck with a plop to listen.

"The name, _Silver Star_, has long vanished from this earth," Sesshoumaru said gravely, his voice seeming strangely tired, the look on his face worn, yet still dead-pan and unreadable.

"People have forgotten the story over time, and they make up this… this…" he grimaced slightly.

"This… _compass_… to tell the directions. But, Kohaku, there _is_ no North or South, East or West," he sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a bit.

"Huh?" that went against everything Kohaku had ever known.

"Aye," Daiyoukai occupied himself with the peacock feather sticking from his leather hat, vainly brushing his fingers against it.

He motioned gently again to the brightest star in the sky.

"You see, Kohaku…" he began to pace about the deck, his boots clicking quietly on the planks.

"There _is_ no up or down. North or South. Like there is no good or evil."

"How?" Kohaku countered.

Sesshoumaru smirked to himself. "It depends which way you're facing, doesn't it?" he dragged Kohaku off the ground by his feet and hung him in the air, his claws tightly griping the boy's skinny legs, his sharp nails violent on the flesh.

"Now," Sesshoumaru looked a bit amused.

"Which way is 'up'?"

Kohaku thought a bit, then pointed towards the ship.

"Wrong," Daiyoukai snapped back, dropping him hard on his head.

"Ouch!" Kohaku sat upright again, rubbing his scalp. "But that makes no sense!" he retorted lamely.

"Yes it does," Sesshoumaru disagreed.

Kohaku slapped a hand to his forehead, the pain rallying up again and pulsing through his body, making him terribly numb. "But you would have let me go if I answered _that_ way too!" he pointed in the direction of the sky.

"I would of," Sesshoumaru admitted.

"Then what's the purpose of it all?" Kohaku argued further, becoming a bit annoyed.

Daiyoukai just glared hard at him, sending a shiver down his spine, a sudden chill ricocheting through the air… a kind of cold that wasn't there before.

What that ice was, Kohaku wasn't sure of.

"Aren't you going to tell me your story?" he then asked, trying to be polite as possible.

"Aye," Sesshoumaru let go a long, deep breath, sitting back up on the bowsprit, gazing up to the night above, his stare wandering eternally with the darkness that seemed to overcome all.

"Long ago, Kohaku," he looked to make sure the boy was paying attention.

"There was a sort of… prophecy, if you will. A code that had been lost to the sea, drowned in time. No one today still knows of it."

"Except you," Kohaku interrupted, making himself as comfortable as possible on the hard, cold deck.

Sesshoumaru nodded solemnly.

"This ship," he rapped a nail on the spar at which he was seated.

"This ship comes from that time."

"A ship can't be that old…" Kohaku thought out loud, thinking the matter over.

"Yes it can," Sesshoumaru rejoined.

"How?" Kohaku threw his hands up in the air.

"You'll see," his Captain hissed in reply.

Kohaku decided to stay silent from there on.

"There are actually _three_ Silver Stars," Sesshoumaru said, satisfied that as much as the boy wanted to, Kohaku did not disrupt him another time.

"One is the actual Star…" he looked up to the glistening matter high above, nearly seeming to wink back at him.

"The other is this ship…"

"And the third?" Kohaku broke his sentence, too eager to wait. He _had_ to say something.

"A mystery," Sesshoumaru sighed.

"But it used to be known that once all three were combined, and Gold defeated, then the Stars themselves would whisper to the Heir, a word of advice, a secret known from the highest of the heavens, a power onto which was bestowed to the Ocean, something all understanding may not unfold otherwise."

"What does that mean?" Kohaku asked.

"To be honest with you, boy," Daiyoukai replied.

"I'm not sure."

"Oh…" Kohaku shrugged, blinking a few times.

"Are there any clues to what or who the third Silver Star is, then?" he questioned soon after.

"Aye," his Captain answered, a twinkle of adventure in his eyes.

"The original tale tells of it something like this… '_The virgin male captain who was marked with a sign from the Stars, whose destiny is chained to the sea, but free as the ocean; one whose life is altered greatly a total of 3 times, torn from love and given love again, and has one portion of him broken'._"

The crescent moon shape embedded across Sesshoumaru's forehead seemed to shimmer in the pearly light, catching Kohaku's eyes before the Captain's bangs swept over that portion of his face, hiding it in the shadows again.

Kohaku thought about what Daiyoukai had just said.

"So… are you trying to find this… other captain?" he asked timidly.

Sesshoumaru nodded softly.

"Kohaku," he set his gaze up to the Stars another time.

"Before anyone ever invented a compass, travelers and sailors used that very Star to point out anything on this earth…"

"Huh?" Kohaku listened again.

"You might say it's a signal, or a permanent mark in the sky," Daiyoukai went on.

"From that signal point you can tell everything about your location." 

"Why _that_ Star?" Kohaku inquired.

"Because all the others move," Sesshoumaru answered.

"And therefore, you couldn't use them as dependable indicators. _That_ one stays right where it is. Every night of every year. And it points to what on the compass, became _'North'_."

"Oh," an image of the spinning needle intruded in Kohaku's thoughts for awhile.

"Is that all?"

"No," Sesshoumaru replied bitterly. "I haven't even really told you the legend yet…"

Kohaku moaned, "What was all this stuff then?"

"Merely a simple elucidation, designed for the purpose of halting further uneducated upheaval," Daiyoukai responded rather boorishly.

"Well, then _can_ you tell me the story?" Kohaku pleaded, beginning to feel a little drowsy. He wanted to go to sleep soon, not stay up and listen to his Captain's endless rant.

Sesshoumaru sighed another time, nodding uneasily and pacing across the fore yet again.

Kohaku yawned. He was usually fast asleep at this hour.

"Stay awake, boy," Daiyoukai warned, coming to a sudden stop before him, his boots threatening to collide with the novice pirate's face.

Kohaku squirmed in discomfort, then settled down when Sesshoumaru finally backed away.

"The _Silver Star_ was the first Star ever born into existence," he started at last, his voice calm and emotionless, his breaths drawn lightly from the cool and salty air.

"The Sun was its opposite; The _Golden Star_," his own golden eyes seemed to glisten divinely in the moonlight.

"The sun isn't a star!" Kohaku countered, crossing his arms.

"Aye, boy, it is," Sesshoumaru snarled back, continuing.

"There were two keys, said to be born from the very dust of those two Stars… and another cast of a material similar to bronze."

Kohaku remembered the large and old silver key that Sesshoumaru kept atop his desk.

Could _that_ possibly be the same key he was talking about?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

"The Keys are the secret to the joining of the three Silver Stars," Sesshoumaru bit the corner of his lip.

"But how they are to be used, I'm not quite sure," he glanced down briefly to his palm, his firm gaze gliding over his long fingers, then shooting from the very points of his talon-like nails, settling out into the horizon, to where the shafts of moonlight touched the waters, and sea and sky joined to make only one angelic world of shadows and marvel.

"For years and years, travelers of all sorts used those two Stars, Kohaku," he said.

"The Silver Star at night, and the Golden Star by day," he looked up to the twinkling heavens above.

"However, the Silver Star was better known as a guide, for its position remained true in the sky. The Golden Star, however, traveled from horizon to opposite horizon throughout the day."

Kohaku nodded, knowing the sun rose in the 'East' and set in the 'West'.

"Why don't they use the moon at night?" the boy wondered out loud.

"The Moon is not a Star," Sesshoumaru answered, as if it ought to be obvious.

"Oh…" Kohaku lowered his head a bit, foggy almond eyes now extremely tired, threatening to pin shut on him.

He almost nodded off, eyes closing slowly, although he fought to keep them open.

His head still hurt as well from being dropped, skull throbbing as his fingers became a bit numb with the cold, his freckled skin also chilled right to his skinny bones.

A steady hand grasped his shoulder, Sesshoumaru's deep voice whispered into his ear.

"Be off with ye, Kohaku. Go to sleep."

The boy struggled to stay awake, moaning, "Is that all..? Of the story, I mean?"

"Nay," Sesshoumaru replied quietly, offering a hand.

Kohaku took it gratefully. "But…"

"You may hear the rest later," Daiyoukai cut him off shortly, leading him down into the hull of the ship, to the bunking areas of the rest of the crew.

The Captain roughly shoved him onward, so he nearly fell face-forth into one of the many berths, then turned and stalked out to his cabin.

Kohaku twisted about in the hammock-like sling, coughing and sputtering a bit from the smell of old cloth.

Ick.

The snoring of some other crewmembers was even more irritating than the stench and scratchy feeling of the fabric.

Sleep then overtook him, dragging him down into a world of dreams, a world where he could rest and be at peace for awhile until the break of dawn.

---------- ---------- ----------

Sesshoumaru slammed the key back on his desk in distress, his brow furrowed as he marched back to his bed, eyeing the map he had laid there hours before.

Picking the parchment up in his pale hands, his careful eyes scanned the page once again.

_Tortuga. _

He needed to get there.

Perhaps there was a clue at that port.

Perhaps there wasn't.

The perplexing secret of the Silver Star haunted him, informing Kohaku about it only rallied the Captain further.

Why had he even _told_ the boy?

It wasn't as if Kohaku was any use in solving the mystery.

He was merely there to serve him, as cabin boy.

Nothing more.

And yet Sesshoumaru felt a bit of fatherly pride for the lad.

Although the evidence wasn't at all obvious, Kohaku had the spirit to become a lethal pirate, the courage to take what blows came along.

He, as Captain, would teach the childish idiot how to shoot a pistol, how to wield a sword and fire a cannon.

Just as he, himself, was taught many years ago.

After his mother was killed.

His glare focused back over to the silver key, his mother's last scream echoing clearly in his mind, the sound of her limp body sliding down the door becoming real in his head once more.

He nearly screamed out in madness.

He just about cried.

He almost threw himself down onto the floor in a fit of horror and fury.

_But he did not. _

He stayed still and emotionless, his head hung and fists balled, the peacock feather in his hat swaying a bit with his hidden inner sorrow.

_He dare not show it. _

A Captain must be strong.

A Captain must not show his tears.

A Captain must not reveal his pain. 

But it simply killed him inside.

Author's Note: _"Tortuga."_

Tortuga (meaning: Turtle Island) is an actual port, off the northwest coast of Hispaniola. It was mentioned/used in the series "Pirates of the Caribbean" many times, as well as the "Captain Blood" movies and many other stories as well.

In the Seventeenth Century, it was extremely well-known as a center of Caribbean Piracy, perhaps one of the most famous ports associated with buccaneers.

I will be using the harbor in further chapters of "Silver Star", with no intention of copying these films and books.

I just wanted to make that clear. .

Rhian


	7. Approaching Storm

Silver Star, Chapter Six

"Approaching Storm"

Sesshoumaru awoke early the next morning, his golden eyes glistening as he glanced sleepily out his window, nonchalant gaze wandering up above the still twinkling stars, his memories violently flooded with events from his past, the gunshots and screams, and the dying cry of his mother as she gave her life to save him.

And for what?—the Captain thought bitterly, kicking back his sheets and sitting upright.

Was the woman's sacrifice in vain?

What had he grown to be?

What sort of man had he become?

A Pirate.

One who's head was worth good gold, and whose name rang with absolute power throughout the seven seas.

Had his mother done the right thing?

Or had she thrown her life away to allow her only son to grow into a despicable buccaneer.

It made Daiyoukai sick just thinking about it.

He blinked the last bits of sleep from his weary eyes, seizing his hat from its place hung on the bed post, the peacock feather swaying as a few rays of dawn broke through the clouds, shattering the night with magnificent displays of orange and pink.

The sun, the Golden Star, begun to rise slowly, the moon soon disappearing from sight, killed by the breaking mass of light.

Sesshoumaru ran a claw down through his hair, combing the fine silver strands, his graceful fingers weaving endlessly in and out.

He sassily got to his feet, quickly pulling on his dark hide-skin boots, smacking the heels down onto the wooden floor with a sharp crack.

It was still too early to wake the crew…

With a long and arrogant sigh, he leaned back on the mattress once more, staring blankly at the pile of maps atop his desk in the corner.

Tortuga…

The name of the port flashed repeatedly in his racing mind.

He had to get there somehow.

There might be a clue there.

A secret revealed to solve the maddening mystery of the Silver Star.

The keys—silver and gold said to be born from Stardust, and another cast of a material similar to bronze.

The joining of the three Silver Stars…

What could possibly be behind all of it, Daiyoukai wondered.

What sort of marveling advantages would come from all of this?

Were the risks worth taking; the blood worth spilling?

He didn't know, or particularly care at the moment. All he wanted was to unravel this obscurity, an enigma formed even before time itself.

Was he blind?

Could the very answer be before his steely eyes, slapped clear in front of him?

No.

He was the _only_ one.

The only one who knew of the ancient Prophecy, the only one with the brilliant mind and sharp personality able to tackle the impossible challenge.

His mother had _not_ died in vain.

He looked out the window once more, the last of the darkness slyly slipping away, chased from the horizon by a dominant rising sun, seeming to float upon the surface of the deep, blue water.

Around five o'clock am… he could tell by the length and position of the shadows.

He reached out for his coat and pulled it tight around his chest, his long fingers working incredibly fast, his golden eyes darting about, focusing finally on the dirty old silver key.

He took it delicately in his pale hands, the icy metal barely causing him to flinch.

His mother once again intruded on his thoughts, her smiling face like the rosy beams of sunlight falling now across the ship.

He held the key tighter, reluctant to place it back on the table top.

"Hmph," he scoffed quietly to himself, the bitterness in his tone intense.

He at last put the key down, turning sharply on his heels and marching out, closing the door behind him.

Insolently adjusting his hat, he then started down towards the bow, examining the rigging and such on his way, checking the sails and spars as well.

All appeared to be in-tack.

That seemed to satisfy the Captain as he sat himself up on the bowsprit, just as he had down last night when talking to Kohaku.

He ran his palm over the sleek and polished word, smirking inwardly to himself, his outward expression remaining cold and dead-pan.

The salty smell of the sea calmed him somewhat, allowing him to slip away from the memories of his past, just for awhile, until thoughts of his mother brutally haunted him yet another time.

How bothersome…

He drew his lips down in a slight frown, thinking the matter over.

How old had he been when she died?

Seven?

That must have been it.

No wonder back then he hadn't a clue as to what was going on.

Now when he replayed the scenes, he could at last make sense of the rowdy scandal.

The port had been attacked by pirates…

His mother had hidden him…

Then died protecting him…

And yet, when he had let himself out of the back room, her body was nowhere to be found, nor the military rifle she'd used to shoot down some of the intruders.

Sesshoumaru didn't know what had become of her.

But he wished he could have at least given her corpse a proper farewell.

No tears though.

Never in his life had he ever begun to cry…

He didn't know _how_ to cry…

It never really bothered him that much, being unable to shed tears.

What, he would always ask himself, was the purpose anyway?

Why would anyone care how he felt?

No one _had_ ever cared how he felt.

So what was the point in making a scene? There was no outcome.

_Laugh, and the world laughs with you—cry, and you cry alone._ That had been a saying he once heard.

But then again, he hadn't ever laughed _or_ cried.

The closest he could really ever get to a laugh was an arrogant simper.

The closest he could really ever get to crying was self-important sulking.

He didn't need to express emotion anyway.

He cared for no one.

As far as he knew, no one cared for him, except his crew, who only followed him out of jealous respect.

Ha! They _fancied_ his cleverness, strength, and irresistible charm!

They _longed_ for his knowledge, talent, and grace!

Yes, they wished.

Wishing isn't enough.

You have to _work_ to make dreams come true, Daiyoukai thought sourly, his long silvery hair tussled in a sudden gust of warming wind, his talons glistening in the increasing sunlight.

Or else they stay forever as a mere mirage, set recklessly into one's drunken, soppy mind.

He growled deeply, a rumble near-silent and stubborn in the back of his throat.

Maybe now he should rouse the crew, or the more intelligent ones would get up and wake the rest.

It was still too early.

If put to work now, half the lazy morons would fall fast asleep on the job, Sesshoumaru concluded.

Now, he couldn't have _that_ happening.

Feeling just a tad merciful, he decided to let them have until six to rest.

That seemed fair enough.

He let loose a long, deep breath, closing his golden eyes slowly, enjoying another gust of fresh ocean air.

The peacock feather in his hat bowed and danced, flitting about in a carefree manner.

For just awhile he was at peace again, his heartbeat seeming to sing along to the rhythm of the wandering clouds overhead, thumping quietly in his chest, the breeze tugging on his clothes in a playful manner, the fabric flapping against his skinny body, the Jolly Roger overhead flaring in a similar manner.

He gazed up sharply to the flag, then to the distance, the unmistakable scent of a storm soon wafting to him.

He had to get his ship into a port.

Keeping a vessel in the bare ocean during a hurricane was pure suicide, the deadly wind and malicious waves proving to be truly formidable, even for the Silver Star.

Screw the beauty-rest of his team; they would have to be awoken now.

He strolled quickly back to his cabin, eyeing the mp, then glaring up to the Golden Star and back to the parchment again.

He smudged a finger down onto the paper, then traced an imaginary line with his eyes. Making a few mental notes, he raced back out to the deck and down the steps into the hull.

Everyone was still asleep, and Daiyoukai could feel a hint of annoyance beginning to simmer in his blood.

He slapped his boot heel good and hard on the wood, a loud and battered crack ringing out, echoing throughout the entire bunking area.

They all jumped out, definitely startled, then realized it was their Captain responsible for the sudden noise.

"Gentlemen," Sesshoumaru tipped his hat elegantly, his voice stern and cold.

"A storm is approaching—and we are in need of a port to dock… who would take kindly to Tortuga?" he raised an eyebrow as if to dare one to speak.

"Aye, Tortuga," the lot of them chanted in reply, knowing it to be a fact Tortuga was a good thirty-five miles away. (--See Author's Note--)

It was likely they'd never make it in time.

"Very well," Daiyoukai seemed content, turning towards the stairs again. "All hands on deck! Hoist the anchor! Unfurl the sails!" he glared at Kohaku, who was still staggering about, rubbing his tired almond eyes.

The boy received a rash smack to the back of his head.

"You," Sesshoumaru hissed, starting up the steps after the rest of his crew.

"Come with me."

Kohaku tried not to yawn, obediently beginning to follow.

The Captain reached out and seized Kohaku's cutlass from the night before, where it still lay embedded in the mast.

With a powerful jerk, Daiyoukai pulled it out, handing it to the lad, hilt out front.

Kohaku took it gingerly, watching Sesshoumaru saunter up to the wheel, taking it with his strong claws and giving it a good spin.

The Silver Star lurched then sped forth, a promising gale catching in the large pearly sails.

"Get the map," Daiyoukai snapped down at Kohaku, who had only started to follow his commander up to the poop deck.

"Yessir!" the boy answered shakily, running back down and into the cabin.

He stopped before Sesshoumaru's desk, blinking, confused, at the many, many different maps lain out across its surface.

His hands brushed against the many scrolls, a lump forming in his throat as he searched.

Which one did his Captain want?

An already open roll of parchment fell to the floor with a muffled clatter, a bit of dust rising up and spreading out into the air.

Kohaku leaned over and picked it up, finally understanding that _this_ was the one Sesshoumaru now needed.

He broke into a sprint and showed the paper to Daiyoukai, who was still steering, his stance proud and ignorant, the sound of crashing waves against the full filling the atmosphere around him.

Sesshoumaru nodded a stiff and silent thanks, then ordered him to stand a little off to his left, and hold the map out, so the surface was flat, all the detail showing clearly. And it had to be at just the right angle and just the right height.

When Kohaku inadvertently changed its position even the slightest bit, one of Daiyoukai's talons brutally met his wrists, sending droplets of blood splattering about.

The poor boy had to bite his lip to keep from screaming out in pain.

"I wouldn't strike if you simply held still," Sesshoumaru sighed, turning the wheel a bit, his gaze set out hard to the fore of the ship, scanning the darkening horizon.

"S-sorry, Captain," Kohaku mumbled, pain ricocheting through his entire arm, the sight of his own oozing blood simply sickening.

Sesshoumaru just scoffed and kept on steering.

There was a long, cryptic silence all across the vessel, the winds screaming sharply as more and more storm clouds drew in, the waves becoming rough and absolutely savage.

Kohaku was bored stiff, occupying his time by glancing wearily around, watching the crew work, somehow hushed, not one would spoken for quite some time.

At last a crack of thunder sounded endlessly in the distance, a bolt of glistening lightly suddenly flashing without warning through the gray and dreary sky.

"More speed!" Sesshoumaru shouted over the resonance, the crew immediately prompting their work even more, dashing frantically about the deck, yelling at one another.

"We've got a good twenty miles until we reach land," Sesshoumaru explained nonchalantly to Kohaku, almost as if he was completely unaware of the tempest beginning to brew, dominating the open waters.

"Then we're good and dead," Kohaku retorted lamely in reply, sarcasm obvious in his voice.

Daiyoukai simply glared at him.

"You dropped that," he said coolly, motioning briefly to the sword he'd given the boy.

"Oh…" Kohaku bent down and picked it up. He must have left it when he left to get the map.

Sesshoumaru once again struck his wrists with his claws, the tips now stained red with blood.

"I told you to stay still, didn't I?" he questioned sternly.

Kohaku started in, "But…" 

"I was simply allowing you the pleasure of knowing you left your cutlass on the deck," Daiyoukai cut him off.

"I never said 'take it'."

Kohaku rolled his eyes. The man was impossible. Crazy. Mad. Insane.

Really, anything but normal.

And yet, Kohaku liked the Captain that way.

Author's Note: _"200 Miles." _

I was told that a classical pirate ship could sail about 200 or maybe 230 miles in one day with a good wind. Although it doesn't seem like much, 35 miles can mean life or death for a ship caught in a bad storm. I just wanted to make that point clear. ; Please continue to enjoy the story!

Rhian


	8. A Gust of Wind

Silver Star, Chapter Seven

"A Gust of Wind"

Sesshoumaru glared out over the horizon, his golden eyes firm and laced with a blaring fire as he then looked back over to Kohaku, nodding. He reached out and seized the map in one claw, waving the boy away.

"You may leave," he growled.

"W-what should I do?" Kohaku stuttered back.

Daiyoukai simply glared his way.

Twenty miles…

The distance echoed in the Captain's head.

"Make yourself useful," he snapped at the cabin boy, motioning quickly up towards the crow's nest. "Help keep watch. I need two pairs of eyes up there now."

"Yessir!" Kohaku made an abrupt bow and shivered, making his way over to the rigging and the ratlines, swallowing hard and starting up.

When he'd only gone half-way, he'd already started to feel terribly sick, his brown eyes scared as he gazed down at the deck below, the crew darting about like tiny little bugs beneath him.

He hugged the ropes tight and continued to climb, his heart racing frantically in his chest, ramming against his ribcage and making him feel terribly numb.

A pirate peered over the crow's nest and laughed at him, finally offering a bulky hand and hoisting him the rest of the way up.

Kohaku fell with a plop on the bottom of the solid wood, his chest heaving; he stared blankly down while his arms and legs shook.

"Oi, mate, y' gonna help me keep watch or not?" the buccaneer rolled his eyes and ogled the dark and stormy horizon.

"Y-yes, sir…" Kohaku caught his breath and stood, chewing his lip and searching for any signs of land as well.

"Capn' say anythin'? Give any orders?" his comrade then asked.

"No," Kohaku replied timidly.

"He just asked me to come up here and help you… that's all."

The other grunted, then shrugged.

Kohaku fell silent as well and rested his arms on the sides of the crow's nest, thankful that it was sealed off, so he couldn't fall down into the ocean, or worse, break his neck on the deck.

He could spot Sesshoumaru still devotedly at the wheel, snapping a few commands at the crew down below. His deep and icy voice was covered by the howling wind.

Everything was beginning to fog up, nothing was entirely clear. From the altitude at which he stood, anything became shrouded in an impossible mist, rain beginning to pour from the heavens and drench all below.

Kohaku shivered again, this time from the cold, his own breath visible before him as the storm raged on, becoming even more violent as time passed by quickly, the ship fighting the ocean to dock at the desired port.

"Ye see anythin', mate?" the other pirate called over the ruthless crash of the waves against the Silver Star's hull.

Kohaku slowly shook his head. "No, sir."

"Damn," the other swore, unleashing a further barrage of curses.

Kohaku ignored him and looked solemnly to the left, his heart suddenly skipping a beat as lightning flashed through the sky.

It looked a lot closer now that he was up so high.

He then gasped when something even more dangerous caught his eye, another bolt quickly jetting through the wet and humid air.

"A ship!" he cried, wiping his soaked bangs from scared almond eyes. "A rival ship on her port side!"

He noticed Sesshomaru immediately jolt, his actions quick as he screamed a series of instructions.

"_General Quarters_!" he then roared.

That was a signal for everyone to prepare for battle.

At once men raced to their positions, as the other ship suddenly tacked and sped forth in a mad attempt to block them.

This other vessel honestly _wanted_ to fight.

Kohaku held his breath and held his hands tight to his chest, entire body shaking.

The other pirate shook him.

"We gotta climb down, mate," he said sternly, face now pale.

"Cannon shot breaks this 'eer mast and we be bound for Davy Jones' Locker…"

Kohaku followed him quickly down the rigging and ran to Sesshoumaru's side.

"What would you like me to do, Captain?" he asked, straightening his back, arms flat at his sides.

Sesshoumaru glared sternly at him, his lips drawn back to a frown as he shouted another series of commands, then answered him, jabbing the sword at the boy's side. "If I call _Away, the Boarding Party_, you are to jump aboard the other ship and _fight_."

Kohaku took the cutlass in hand and swallowed hard.

"We'll see if you have what it actually takes to be a pirate…" Sesshoumaru added coldly, glancing up at the crew as they tacked and lined the cannons with the opposing ship.

"FIRE!!!" his voice rang out briefly before the scream of cannon balls ripped through the air, shattering the wood of the other vessel as they soon struck back.

The Silver Star took a blow to the deck railing, and a secured cannon was blasted out of place. A shot barely missed the fore mast and plunged deep into the ocean.

Sesshoumaru violently turned the wheel, moving in closer, the thunder high above mingled with the roar of the battle as war raged on through the pounding rain.

Kohaku held his cutlass carefully, standing obediently at Sesshoumaru's side, nervous and scared—ashamed that he felt so helpless and startled.

"Be careful, Kohaku," Sesshoumaru hissed, raising his head another time, his long silver hair now drenched, the peacock feather in his leather hat sopping as well.

"Away the Boarding Party!!"

Numerous pirates grabbed the ropes and swung to the other ship, swashbuckling with the opposing crew, their blades all gleaming with either rain or blood.

Kohaku grabbed a line and followed suit, swinging over as well.

With a whoop of terror he dodged another pirate's sword, a flintlock gun nearly missing him as the ducked behind the mast, gripping his own weapon tight.

He stood and glanced around—confused. Everyone loyal to the rival vessel was _female_.

He spotted who must be their Captain race out from beneath the hull, her pretty dark hair still dry as she took a line and boarded the Silver Star, flintlock pistol in hand.

As she turned, Kohaku realized the long and deadly military rifle strapped to her back.

He swallowed hard and ran from a woman charging his way, fighting the tears that longed to stream down his face, mixing in with the rain and splattering with the blood across the deck.

He didn't want to murder anyone…

But with a cold and bitter shock, the boy realized: it was _kill_, or _be killed_.

Aiding a few of the comrades, he snuck behind a foe and drove his rapier deep through her flesh, a relinquishing scream ringing out with all the others as they fell.

"Thanks, mate," the same man that had been up in the crow's nest with him nodded, dashing off to help a few others in tough situations.

He swallowed hard and nodded, cringing as he bolted from another group coming his way.

He grabbed a line and swung back over to the Silver Star again.

A cannon ball rushed past him, skimming some of the rigging and disappearing into the angry sea.

Desperately, he searched for Sesshoumaru.

His Captain remained true by the wheel, fending off his rival with extreme skill and grace—while still trying to keep his ship on course.

Kohaku marveled at his expert talent and amazing speed, the power he managed to maintain white simple elegance.

He hadn't yet one scar, but was decorated with the blood of many others.

"Captain!" Kohaku screamed out, his voice insignificant to the crash of cannons and the swiping of swords and the ringing of flintlocks.

"Captain!"

Sesshoumaru could not hear him.

Kohaku watched in horror as more pirates swung over to the Silver Star, some friends, most their enemies.

Both crews struggled on, battling with all their might as the storm raged on, threatening to tear them all apart.

---

Sesshoumaru lashed out again, only to be blocked, then made a clever feint to the right.

The other caught him off guard, foot reaching out and tripping him, his balance momentarily lost.

She aimed the gun at his head and pulled the trigger. He'd just gotten up as the bullet bounced across the deck.

Her furious crimson eyes seared with hatred into his own golden ones, now tainted with malice and stress, her dark hair now wet like his, her bangs hanging soaked in her appealing pale face.

The ruby-red lipstick that gleamed across her lips was simply angering as Sesshoumaru rapidly turned the wheel then glanced back at her, his heart pounding as he caught his breath and blocked another well-planned strike.

God, was she a worthy opponent.

Probably more skilled then any of the male Captain's he'd already killed… may better than the whole lot of them grouped together…

He kicked her off of her feet and threw his rapier towards her chest, but she rolled aside and tugged something loose from a strap on her back as the blade hit the deck and slid down the wet planks.

Sesshoumaru pulled his own flintlock from his belt and aimed.

She, in return, had already readied the rifle.

"You wench…" he hissed, voice cold as ever, his canine-like teeth showing as he sneered and tightened his finger around the trigger.

She scoffed in return and stood, taking a daring step closer to him.

"You shoot me and I _swear_ I'll hit you twice…" he warned, knowing although very powerful, a military rifle took quite some time to load again once fired.

The rain continued to pour; everything drenched as the waves crashed up and spilled onto the decks of both ships, lightning and thunder dominant overhead, the fog beginning to lower and the clouds only getting darker.

They both pulled the trigger.

And both their guns clicked, but nothing happened.

_Wet powder. _

Sesshoumaru threw down his flintlock as she cast aside her rifle, coming at him with her cutlass.

His lay still on the deck from the last time he'd hurled it at her.

He ran off towards the stairs and jumped the rest of the way down, his rival in hot pursuit. Forgetting his own sword and borrowing a bloodstained cutlass from a dead-man's hand, he stood and faced her again.

She kicked him awful hard between the legs.

_Bad girl! _

_Naughty, naughty girl! _

He bit his lip to keep from snarling a curse in pain and gripped his rapier tight.

Damn, was the woman obnoxious.

Sesshoumaru feinted again before laying an actual attack.

She didn't fall for the fake.

The female Captain blocked his strike, then slashed at his chest, missing just barely and putting a good scar all the way down his left arm.

Sesshoumaru balled a fist and punched her good, his hand colliding with her cheek as she yelped inaudibly.

He seized his chance and pinned her back against one of the masts.

Then, with slight shock he realized… there was no one at the wheel.

They were now down on the main deck, but he had to get back up and steer.

Or maybe he _didn't_ have to.

He caught Kohaku in the corner of his eye and called the lad's name loud and clear.

"Sir!!" Kohaku nearly ran to aid the fight before Sesshoumaru waved him off.

"The wheel, Kohaku! You whelp!" he growled, pushing back the woman and motioning rashly to the deck above.

Kohaku's legs shook as he darted up, laying down his sword and taking the wheel with both hands.

Sesshoumaru, sassy as ever, was still yelling orders.

"Turn it eighty degrees right!" he fended off another attack.

"You bilge rat! That's _left_! I said _right_!" he dodged the cutlass before it was lodged into his leg.

Kohaku had never seen Sesshoumaru so… _provoked_ before.

The poor man, Kohaku thought, shaking his head as he listened to the further instructions, also keeping an eye out for any opposing crew that might suddenly charge him.

His mind was spinning as he worked the wheel, trying his absolute best.

It was hard to hear his Captain at all through all the terrible sounds of battle and raging water all around, but the boy tried his best, just able to make out the exact words Daiyoukai said.

"Now, level her off, that's it, Kohaku… steady… keep the ship steady!"

He followed the next set of commands.

Sesshoumaru was working his way up the stairs and back onto the upper deck.

Kohaku bit his lip, then fell to the ground and covered his head while an enemy pirate rushed up and attempted a good whack at his head.

Sesshoumaru raced over and trust his rapier straight through the other's gut.

Having done that, it left him wide open for another attack.

The other Captain kicked him down to the deck, pressing her sword slowly into his back, blood squirting from the wound and staining the wooden planks below.

Stunned, in vain, Sesshoumaru tried to boot her off. It was no use, she was nowhere within his current striking range.

Kohaku picked up his cutlass left by the wheel and swung it about, giving his Captain the break he needed.

Distracted, the woman jumped back and flinched, and Sesshoumaru lashed out with his boot and knocked her to the ground as well.

He stood up, then pointed the tip of his blade to her neck.

She panted and looked up at him, then sighed in defeat.

"Fine…" her eyes were burning. "You win. Kill me." As she spoke her words were cold, as if her freedom had been bound up before her and thrown down to the very bottom of Davy Jones' Locker.

Sesshoumaru gazed down at her, his heart pounding in his chest, the pain in his left arm and his back like needles in his blood; the same liquid dripped from the wounds she had given him.

His lips barely moved as he murmured a suggestion. "Parley."

With a single glare she took his hand and he lifted her to her feet.

As he lowered his sword, she kicked him strict between the legs.

Kohaku covered his mouth to keep from laughing.

Sesshoumaru growled and watched her cross her arms over her breast.

"Oh, how we regret our actions…" he mumbled to himself, arrogance clear in his tone of voice.

Without a word, the female Captain took a line and swung back over to her ship, calling off the attack.

As promised, Sesshoumaru did the same.

Kohaku bottled up all the courage within him as he watched Sesshoumaru lower, then shake his head.

"You like her… don't you?" he asked carefully, ready to bolt if Sesshoumaru lashed out at him.

"_Nonsense_," Daiyoukai spat, his voice livid. "_Bilge_."

---

A gangplank was lain between the two vessels, and both Captains sauntered over to the edge of their ships.

Eventually, Sesshoumaru agreed to go across to the _HMS Serpent_, although most of the crew weren't taking kindly to the idea at all.

Kohaku knew he was right, pride swelling in his chest. Sesshoumaru _was_ fond of her. It was crystal clear in the way he'd gazed down upon her—the way he lifted her after offering his hand and a parley.

"You idiot," Kohaku muttered under his breath. Surely this would lead to his Captain's downfall.

"You _idiot_…" the boy repeated, although part of him felt happy and light, the other dark and gloomy just like the rain and the malevolent ocean.

He still held on tight to his cutlass sword, then finally stuck it back in his belt the way he'd seen it done amongst the crew.

"I wish to know your name," he heard Sesshoumaru say rather politely, raising an eyebrow.

"You first," the other Captain snapped in reply.

Sesshoumaru sighed.

Kohaku rolled his eyes.

"Sesshoumaru Daiyoukai," the man told her, tipping his hat.

'_Show off'_, Kohaku thought, now in a bad mood.

She crossed her arms again and stood at an angle.

"Kagura Miura," she answered, just a tad more friendly this time.

'_You cur',_ Kohaku noticed Sesshoumaru examining her body, her wet clothes now sticking to her skin. At the current moment he wasn't afraid of Sesshoumaru anymore… and he longed to give his Captain a nice, respectful blow to the head.

Hey, Kohaku thought, maybe it would knock some sense into him?

He continued to listen to their talk.

It was Sesshoumaru who spoke, "I presume the both of us are intelligent enough to figure out the consequences of staying out here any longer…"

Kagura nodded slowly in agreement.

"Then," Daiyoukai went on, brushing his wet silvery bangs from his face in a somewhat flirty manner. "I propose a truce."

"Why?" Miura growled, brow furrowing.

"Well," Sesshoumaru said. "Shan't it be better than uselessly quarreling out here and getting our heads blown off and our ships torn to pieces?"

Kagura mumbled something and grabbed his hand, shaking it. "Fine," she hissed. "A deal."

"_And_," Daiyoukai sneered. "The truce lasts until both my Silver Star and your HMS Serpent leave Tortuga… and the port is out of sight. Savvy?"

"Seems fair," Kagura decided.

They shook on it.

Kohaku moaned and buried his freckled face in his hands.

Sesshoumaru walked back across the gangplank and onto his own ship, making a rather gentleman-like bow to Kagura before turning and sauntering ignorantly back up to the wheel, sighing deeply and giving it a good turn.

The pirate up in the crow's nest gasped, then adjusted his telescope more.

"LAND HOE!!" he announced proudly over the drum of rain and the crash of thunder, and the roar of the waves and the chatter of the crew.

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes sparkled in the darkness. He looked down at Kohaku and motioned him over.

The boy obediently followed.

_Land hoe… _

The lovely words echoed in his mind.

_Land hoe. _

"Captain…" he looked over to Sesshoumaru.

The man had saved his life during the battle, and bore the slice in his back to prove it…

"Yes?" Daiyoukai looked over to him.

"Thank-you… that's all," Kohaku managed a small smile, no longer angry.

Sesshoumaru blinked.

"Kohaku," he said after awhile.

"Aye?"

"Make sure the wounded are attended to."

Kohaku started down into the hull. "Yessir!!"

There was an angry roar as he stepped down the stairs and began search for wounded survivors.

"_Boy_! Call me _Captain_!!"


	9. Tortuga

Silver Star, Chapter Eight

"Tortuga"

Sesshoumaru ran to the wheel and took it with both claws, the port now clearly in view, a sneer of triumph managing to grace his normally dead-pan features.

Kohaku had done well gathering those who had survived, but had endured deadly blows capable of bringing a sure death. However, the cabin boy coaxed them to the doctors aboard the ship and did all that was asked of him.

The Captain decided the boy deserved a well-earned break.

He was also surprised that the lad had even survived the sea skirmish.

_And_ the little idiot finally had learned to kill.

Yes, Kohaku deserved a little break indeed.

Daiyoukai planned to dock at the port and stay awhile anyway.

The whole crew would be granted a little land leisure, a bit of time to enjoy themselves until they set out to sea again.

Oh, Tortuga was a good pirate port… full of brigands and good bartering markets… but it was also dangerous.

Sesshoumaru knew there were many out there willing to take anyone's head for a good sum of money, and others were just outright drunk, and really did need a fine keelhauling.

He sighed and directed the ship in, just as the storm began grow in power even more; the palm trees decorating the beaches seemed as if they would fly from the ground and be sent high in the air by the overwhelmingly strong winds.

"Kohaku," he called the boy to his side once he spotted him coming up from the hull, yawning and dragging his feet across the deck.

"Yes, Captain?" the cabin boy ran up drowsily and tried not to yawn again.

Sesshoumaru set a gentle look on him, "You may rest."

Kohaku blinked his almond-toned eyes. "Captain?"

"Are ye death? I told you to rest, boy."

"Oh… Thank-you, Captain!" Kohaku made a short bow before making his way down to his hammock, flopping down and falling asleep before his body even hit the fabric.

Sesshoumaru watched him go, then looked out to the horizon again.

The Silver Star crept slowly into Tortuga, settling neatly at the dock.

Daiyoukai and a couple of other men set out the gangplank and secured the ship on the posts.

"Do as you will…" Sesshoumaru told them quietly. "Carouse all ye want, get drunk, go get shot—I don't care. Just be back here by the sunrise three days from now."

The lot of them ran back to tell the rest of the crew, then most of them were off and scuttling down into the town.

Sesshoumaru frowned, then walked up the gangplank and into his quarters. He shut the door behind him and rubbed his temple, sighing and suddenly realizing how exhausted he now was. Blood still dribbled from both his wounds, and the slice made down the whole length of his left arm stung terribly. His back ached as well, and his heart pounded with an unusual sort condition in his chest.

He opened the door and marched out again.

It was still raining, but the waters were much calmer in the bay, most of the wind and the waves kept out by the island, shielding them from the wrath of the storm.

He started down into the hull and over to Suikotsu, the main and most experienced doctor aboard the Silver Star.

Suikotsu was quite a strange man, gentle and kind while seeing a patient, but brutal and wildly gory whenever entered in a fight. It seemed as if he'd two different personalities altogether.

Sesshoumaru brushed off his hat and cleared his throat.

The doctor turned to him and made a slight bow, his neck-length brown hair swaying a bit with the movement. "Is something wrong, Captain?" he asked.

Sesshoumaru held out his arm without a word.

Suikotsu came over to examine, then asked his commander to please have a seat.

Sesshoumaru sat (although he didn't take lightly to receiving orders from anyone else), and Suikotsu prepared a rather painful-looking needle.

"I'm going to sew this up, Captain—so you don't get an infection," he explained, beginning to work, pulling up Sesshoumaru's sleeve so his whole arm was then exposed.

The light was dim and hard to see by, but Suikotsu made quite an effort, and Sesshoumaru remained still, ignoring the poking and the jabbing and the pulling at his already paling skin.

Suikotsu looked at the work he's completed and cut the thread.

"Try not to move it too much and I think you'll be just fine," he nodded, satisfied as he watched Daiyoukai stand.

The doctor then saw the blood on his back and told him to sit back down.

"It's only a minor scrape," Sesshoumaru insisted with a growl.

"Ahh," Suikotsu waved the needle at him. "But 'tis not the graze that matters, Captain—'tis the infection it could give you."

Sesshoumaru fell silent and removed his shirt so Suikotsu could work on that too.

---

_Kohaku looked around the corner, noticing a little girl slip into one of the many back alleys, her feet quick as she raced away and out of sight. _

_He followed. _

_She sharply turned a corner and vanished into the shadows. _

_Doggedly, he still pursued. _

_She had been holding something, but what exactly, Kohaku didn't know. _

_He could hear her tiny breaths as she struggled to keep running. _

_She knew she was being followed. _

_There was a jingle of some sort. Was it metal? _

_It came from before him, Kohaku noticed, veering down another alley she chose to turn on. _

_He wondered where she was headed. _

_Kohaku slowed down now, the pounding of the girl's own footsteps beginning to fade, then stop altogether. She was pressed against the corner of one of the countless buildings, her little chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. _

_That item in her hand…_

_With a wave of shock, Kohaku realized that was the very same silver key from Sesshoumaru's desk…_

_He couldn't let the girl get away. _

_Watching her carefully, he began to creep up, attempting to stay quiet… quiet like the drifting eerie shadows all around him. _

_How had she gotten aboard the Silver Star? _

_Possibly Sesshoumaru had left to carry out something important, that sounded like something he would do. _

_Maybe he left the ship to some of the crew to watch, but they were drunk, or got drunk; or maybe they spotted a band of pretty girls and went running off. _

_Kohaku didn't know, but somehow she had gotten the key._

_And he couldn't let her sneak away with Sesshoumaru's key. _

_From the first day they'd met, he knew the key was of great value to his Captain. _

_What he didn't know was that it was the only thing Daiyoukai had to remind him of his long-dead mother. _

_Kohaku still followed. _

_He was just about to get her, just about to pull the cutlass from his belt, but he heard Sesshoumaru calling him. _

"_Kohaku!" _

_The ground suddenly shook, and all felt as if he were going to die. _

"_Kohaku!" _

The lad woke up thrashing.

He nearly hit Sesshoumaru in the face with his kicking and screaming, but his Captain then held him steady until he settled down.

"You were dreaming," Daiyoukai told him calmly, his hand firm on his shoulder.

"Kohaku, you were dreaming."

The cabin boy finally quit his flaying and came to his senses.

He looked around, blinked, and then took a deep breath.

Sesshoumaru was right, he _had_ been dreaming.

"Do you wish to talk about it?" Sesshoumaru said casually, the way a worried father might speak to his terrorized son.

"No, Captain," Kohaku replied, polite as he could be. "No thank-you, Captain."

Sesshoumaru nodded, then turned and started up the stairs to the main deck.

Was it morning already?

Kohaku leapt out of his hammock and stretched, then yawned, finally following Daiyoukai up into the light.

The storm was over, not a single cloud was in sight. The sun was warm and brilliant overhead, the ocean calm and glittering. There was a fresh, salty smell in the air, mixed with the delicious scent of fruits and trees. The wind blew by, this time gentle and a mere whisper, the daily talk of the port folk somewhat friendly and welcoming.

"Is this Tortuga?" Kohaku asked Sesshoumaru, who had started down the gangplank and onto the dock.

"Aye," his Captain called back, motioning for the boy to follow. "Kohaku, this is Tortuga."

Kohaku realized he must have fallen asleep before they entered the port.

The night had passed quickly, so it already must have been late.

The HMS Serpent was docked cleanly beside the Silver Star, bobbing up and about and swaying just like all the other vessels.

Kohaku got a good look at it, and decided that he defiantly liked Sesshoumaru's ship better… but maybe that was just because he'd gotten so used to it.

"I'm allowing a bit of land leisure," Sesshoumaru explained.

Kohaku nodded, following.

"In three days we set back out to sea," his Captain went on nonchalantly. "The repairs that need to be made aren't as complicated as I'd first feared…" he examined the condition of his ship. "We're to restock, fix the Silver Star, and we're off, understood?"

"Aye-aye," Kohaku smiled.

Sesshoumaru sauntered down the dock and invited Kohaku to join him.

"The ship's in good care," he assured the boy, noting the way he looked back at the ship. "Suikotsu's on board, he won't let anything happen. Savvy?"

Kohaku didn't know what 'savvy' meant, but he repeated the word in reply. "Aye, Captain! Savvy!"

He could of sworn Sesshoumaru nearly smiled at him, but then turned his proud head up to the sky and then to the town.

"Keep your guard up, Kohaku… Tortuga's a place no man wishes to be left lost on his own…"

Kohaku knew what he meant the moment and drunken pirate rushed past them wielding a club and shouting rude political remarks.

Sesshoumaru waved the alcoholic smell from his nose with a graceful stroke of his hand.

Kohaku cringed as his knees buckled from the stench.

His Captain dragged him to his shaking feet and gave him a good slap.

Kohaku pulled himself to his senses, coughed, then continued to walk alongside the older man.

He looked just prime, Sesshoumaru did. He was out of his blood-stained and chafed clothes, wearing something much more military-like. A wonderful white coat with bands of gold and matching pants and shoes. His shirt collar was flipped down, with pretty metal buttons running down the middle, and elegant stitching around the rim of a pearly, gold-lined hat. This one had a large brown feather. Griffin Vulture, according to Sesshoumaru, himself.

Kohaku didn't know he had such dashing clothes. He probably kept them in one of the chests the boy had seen on the floor of his cabin.

Maybe he only wore them into ports to show off, for he seemed the type of man daring to do so.

Or possibly he decided he just wanted to have a little fun with his attire.

He looked more like a Navy Warship Commander than a Pirate Captain, that was for sure.

Sesshoumaru looked down at Kohaku and caught him staring, raising an eyebrow and raising his hand as if to smack him, but he only motioned over to one of the stalls in the market.

"You'll be needing some new clothes, Kohaku," he told the boy stiffly. "I don't want my cabin boy running around in rags."

He walked arrogantly over and dragged a now blushing Kohaku with him.

The boy actually thought Sesshoumaru was quite a gentleman, but he just had a queer way of showing it…

Daiyoukai looked over the clothes and asked Kohaku's size.

"I-I don't know, Captain…" the boy admitted sheepishly.

Sesshoumaru sighed slightly and turned back to searching. He rummaged through nearly everything there and finally decided on a variety of items.

"Captain," Kohaku whispered to him.

Daiyoukai looked down.

"I don't have any money…"

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, "I'm paying for this one, boy."

Kohaku blinked; he never actually knew Sesshoumaru was capable of such… _compassion_.

Then again, he wasn't the type of Captain to flog someone if they forgot to call him by his rightful title, as Kohaku had mistakenly done many times. He'd only yell and make a terrible fuss.

So, the boy supposed the man wasn't nearly half-bad at all.

There was a catch to Sesshoumaru's sudden expression of kindness, however.

Kohaku had the task of carrying all the clothes he'd been given.

But Sesshoumaru logically agreed to take them all back to the ship.

"You'll be needing a chest to keep ye things as well…" Daiyoukai thought out loud as he led the boy back into Tortuga.

They decided on a nice lightweight wooden one, with iron handles on the side and a lock for a key.

Sesshoumaru strung the little bronze key through a rope and placed it over Kohaku's neck.

The boy muttered a thank-you and they took the chest back to the Silver Star as well.

At last, Sesshoumaru decided to show Kohaku the entire port, but refrained from buying anything else, besides occasional stocks of fairly-priced gun powered and such.

As they were walking down one of the market streets, the Captain turned to the cabin boy and pressed a few coins into his hands.

"Off on yer own now, boy," he said quietly, with a nod. "Do what you want with this, hmm? But be back to the ship by sundown, I don't want you wandering about in the dark. Or I'll come out and kill you myself."

Kohaku swallowed hard and nodded.

Sesshoumaru returned the gesture and disappeared into the crowd.

The place reminded Kohaku so much of his old home… the horrid life he lived before he'd ever met Sesshoumaru or the crew aboard the Silver Star.

All over again here he was all alone in a large harbor, with people all around and the wind kissing his young freckled face.

But this time, he'd a _home_ to return to.

This time, he'd a _family_ to cover his back and an unusual Captain whom the boy was starting to see as a father.

As he carefully slipped the coins into his pocket and started down the lane, he smiled inwardly to himself.

All was well.


	10. Kohaku's Flower

Silver Star, Chapter Nine

"Kohaku's Flower"

Kohaku walked through the market, glancing about at what there was to be sold.

He was really tempted to buy a small obnoxious monkey and give it to Sesshoumaru, but at the last moment he decided against it, much rather preferring to keep his head on his shoulders.

The cabin boy walked away from the screaming little beast, who was shaking its fists at him through the bars of the cage, jumping up and down and then unleashing a barrage of uncontrollable howls.

He ignored it completely.

Silly, silly monkey. But Kohaku couldn't help but feel sorry for the thing.

He lowered his head and strolled down another street, this one was lined with many stalls selling fruits of all kinds, many of which Kohaku had never seen before.

There were fat oranges and apples and all kinds off wonderfully colored fruits. There were tiny blue berries and larger things that grew in thick bunches called grapes. Then there were even bigger tubular yellow fruits called bananas… and there were grapefruits, and lemons, and strawberries, and tons and tons of beautiful crops!

There was one that caught his eye over all, however.

It was larger than a watermelon and a dusty shade of moss green. Covered completely with thick long spikes, it was heavy and smelled disgusting, like rotten eggs and other things Kohaku didn't even want to categorize.

They called it a durian.

To Kohaku, it looked more like a bomb than a fruit… a green, spiky, armored bomb.

He bought one and carried it by the stem, so he wouldn't have to touch the spines and the smell was further away from his sensitive nose.

But he didn't suppose Sesshoumaru would be so pleased with his purchase.

Maybe they could lob it over at any enemy pirates.

Very excited with his idea, he started back to the ship and up the gangplank.

He ran up to his hammock and placed the durian down below it, besides his newly acquired wooden chest.

He heard a creaking coming from across the deck, and soon ventured out to investigate.

The door to Sesshoumaru's cabin was open.

Cautiously, Kohaku pulled the cutlass from his belt, holding it out front and slowly moving in.

Sesshoumaru could be in there, he thought, swallowing hard.

Or maybe one of the other crew members…

But something didn't seem right to the boy; a chill wind picked up and screeched in his ear, some sort of eerie feeling blowing around in the unfamiliar air.

There was something wrong…

Kohaku was sure to keep his foot steps quiet as he advanced foreword once more.

The certain sound of rough breathing came in short little bursts, the novice pirate could hear it clearly now.

He snuck up to the door as someone bolted out, pushing him down to the deck and sprinting past, down the gangplank and straight over the dock.

Eyes wide, Kohaku jumped quickly to his feet, shooting after in angry pursuit.

How did the thief get in, he wondered, panting hard to keep up, determined to retain sight of the robber as he wound down one of the roads.

His Captain sure wouldn't be happy to hear about this…

---

Sesshoumaru sauntered around, the mystery of the Silver Star haunting his every thought, a warm wind fluttering down and blowing his long pearly hair.

The sun was now bright high above, the skies still clear of any clouds and the air pleasantly humid.

Little did he know someone had broken into his cabin and stolen his mother's silver key from atop his desk.

Unaware of the crime, he kept going along, glancing briefly this way and that, his golden eyes sharp and clever, the expression on his face never once shifting from its original dead-pan state.

He had lied to Kohaku… in a sense.

He'd only mentioned making a few repairs on the ship and restocking on supplies… but all other intentions of his revolved around the secret.

Perhaps there was someone here that might have heard it… just possibly… yet the chances were slim.

Still, there could be an individual capable of providing a few more facts.

As much as he simply hated accepting help from any body other than himself, Daiyoukai had made an exception here.

He was _going_ to get to the bottom of this.

As far as he, himself, was concerned, there wasn't a single force out there that could stop him.

'_There is no North or South… like there is no Good or Evil…' _

His own words from long before came back to him, his questions ringing unanswered, his reasoning now no more to him than the sentences he let slip away.

'_The Keys are the secret to the joining of the three Silver Stars…'_

And come to think of it, he had never lived up to his previous promise to tell Kohaku of the prophecy… a legend recited in poem form, the exact meaning even nearly undecipherable.

_From times before the aging Earth_

_Reflections—shadows cast before the slipping words_

_Of a forever cloud of evil night._

_And through the dawn one voice does call,_

_A simple term though soon forgotten._

_Ho, these waves of silence,_

_Falling water,_

_The oceans roar in unison._

_The name be _

"_Silver Star"._

_Like the moon, its skin of pearl,_

_And luster deep of time-old bark_

_A ship is carved from hands of light,_

_The golden beams are radiant,_

_The light is heaven in the air. _

_Night's dear opposite,_

_Sinking into eternal ocean,_

_And drowned beyond the sea,_

_The name be_

"_Golden Star". _

_Another lies in darkened grasp,_

_The true identity soon stolen,_

_And with the touch of a gentle flower,_

_A story will unfold. _

_And with the help of careful wind,_

_A meaning is soon found. _

_This third treasure shines so ever bright_

_A tear of amber stain the sky,_

_So many times the two Stars fight_

_While their answer sleeps…_

_With both rays of Silver and Gold_

_And surely sun defeated,_

_One man's sacrifice…_

_A suicide to open water,_

_For his life is chained to open water._

_Three times beaten, once heart torn_

_Three times altered, and once heart torn…_

_Love will show the way._

_Through night and day…_

_Love will surely show the way. _

_Under moonlight join the Stars, _

_A presence of sure legacy. _

_Swords clash through blood and rain,_

_And one shall claim the scream of victory,_

_And one will win the battle. _

_Legend tell…_

_The promised legend tell…_

_Three keys unlock a mystery…_

_One star brighter over all…_

_The three keys unlock anonymity,_

_The secret of the Silver Star. _

---

Kohaku bolted around another corner and nearly slipped on a peel of fruit that was left on the road.

Catching himself and picking up speed again, he begun to pump his arms faster, knowing that would help him run.

He could see the culprit was female, a tiny little girl no older than he, her bare feet hitting the ground as she sprinted as fast as her scarred legs would allow, her shoulder-length brown hair flopping as she ran.

Kohaku gritted his teeth and pushed himself to go faster, his heart racing in his chest and blood pumping rapidly in his ears.

She had stolen something… he could see an object clutched in her dirty hands.

It was then he realized that he'd seen the girl before.

_The dream… _

The dream Sesshoumaru had woken him from…

It was now replaying before his very eyes as an actual reality.

He remembered following her and taking a sudden dip down a dark alleyway.

And he kept chasing when the thief did turn and sprint down one of the beaten-looking streets.

There was a clang of metal, and Kohaku came to the conclusion that also like in his dream, she'd stolen Sesshoumaru's silver key.

And he couldn't let her get away with that.

How the brat even got aboard the Silver Star, Kohaku didn't know—but filled with energy and resolve, he kept going.

She stopped abruptly at a corner to catch her breath, unaware that she was still being trailed.

Kohaku gripped his sword tight and began to slowly creep up.

Closer…

Closer…

He sprung as she turned and let loose a horribly high-pitched scream, nearly splitting his ears and causing him to flinch.

She ducked around him and dashed as quickly as possible down one of the many market streets, many startled heads turning as Kohaku followed closely behind, waving his rapier angrily.

At last catching up to the now fatigued crook as she veered down another alley, Kohaku lashed out with his foot, knocking her mercilessly to the hard-packed earth below.

She sniffled and pushed herself back up, instantly freezing when her terrified chocolate eyes met the blade directly before her nose.

"Give it back," Kohaku said crossly, thrusting out a hand to retrieve the stolen item.

She reluctantly shoved it into his palm and sniffed again.

Her cherubic face was patterned with many cuts and bruises, her arms and legs showing the same sort of cruel treatment. Clothes reduced to tatters, her robes were soiled with dirt, blood, and sweat. Her short dark hair was gnarled and fell in sloppy tangles over her tiny, shivering shoulders.

Kohaku regretted the feeling of pain and grief in his beating heart, and he felt terribly sorry for the little girl.

Begrudgingly he stuck his sword back in his belt and offered his hand, slipping the key into his coat pocket.

She took it and stood pathetically.

"What's your name?" he asked in a friendly manner. He couldn't help but she his old self in her timid, scrawny appearance.

"Rin," she mumbled back.

"Or at least that's what I thinks…" she followed up quickly, stuttering a bit and twiddling her fingers. "Mommy and Daddy died long ago, so I don't really knows."

"Oh…" said Kohaku. His parents had died some time back as well.

"Where are you from?" Rin asked, suddenly cheerful despite the awkward situation. "What's your name? How old are you? Are your Mommy and Daddy dead too? Have you ever been out to sea? I've always wanted to go out to sea…"

Kohaku blinked, a tad overwhelmed with the sudden barrage of questions.

He struggled to remember some of them.

"Umm… My name's Kohaku," he started out. "I come from really far away, across the ocean… and yeah, my parents are dead too."

"I'm sorry, Kohaku," Rin blurted out, looking towards the ground.

Kohaku waved a careless hand in the air. "It's alright, Rin."

"You cames across the sea?" she inquired suddenly.

Kohaku nodded.

Her little mouth fell open and she let out a long _'ooohhh'_.

"I've always wanted to go out to sea," she said again.

Kohaku thought on that for a moment…

What if he brought his new friend aboard the Silver Star?

Sesshoumaru probably wouldn't like it that much, but Kohaku decided he'd say she could help around the ship… she seemed the sort of girl who could take care of herself… she'd managed to steal the silver key anyway.

And she would have gotten away with it if he hadn't spotted her.

Daiyoukai would have to deal with Rin's company, Kohaku thought stubbornly.

She appeared to be trustworthy and kind… even if they hadn't met in the most pleasant way.

"Where you born here, Rin?" Kohaku asked, trying to be friendly.

She nodded with much enthusiasm. "Yes, yes!" she said.

Tortuga certainly seemed a bountiful port…

It was certainly better than the harbor Kohaku had grown up in.

At that thought, the cabin boy wondered where his Captain had gotten off to.

Oh well, he shrugged it off. If Sesshoumaru wanted to wander off on his own without an explanation, Kohaku didn't care.

"Rin," he looked back at the little girl.

"Hmm?" she was curling and uncurling her toes.

"_Would_ you like to go aboard a ship?"

"If I evers could," she smiled.

"So…" Kohaku went on, grinning slightly back. "You'd get on a ship and sail out? You might never see this place again…"

"I don'ts care if I never see this place again," she said rather bitterly.

"You sure?" Kohaku blinked. After all, as poor and lost as he was, even he was hesitant about leaving his old home long before.

"I'm sure," Rin piped in.

"Even come aboard a _pirate_ ship?" he elongated the word _pirate_.

Rin cocked her head to the side and then shuffled her feet.

"I thoughts pirates were bad…" she murmured.

Kohaku remembered first meeting Sesshoumaru.

"Rin," he reached out and took her hand, leading the girl out and marching down the shop-filled road. "It all depends on… how you look at them."

She blinked her large brunette eyes and skipped along beside him.

"We goings to go _on_ a pirate ship?" she struggled to keep up with his faster pace.

"Aye," Kohaku winked down at her—his first friend. "Rin, we're going to sail out of here on a pirate ship."


	11. Calm Waters

Silver Star, Chapter Ten

"Calm Waters"

_HMS Serpent_… the name of the ship ran through Kohaku's mind as he continued to lead Rin down the market street, the chatter and gossip of many all around him clearly distracting.

Even though he knew very little about boats and such, at least the cabin boy was aware that the term _'HMS'_ was used only in the royal navy… standing for _His Majesty's Ship_ or _Her Majesty's Ship_.

It was never used in naming vessels captained by pirates.

So why was Miura's ship labeled the _HMS Serpent_? Either she was a privateer under a monarch of some sort (which Kohaku thought extremely unlikely), or something particularly queer had taken place when the boat was named.

He'd have to ask Sesshoumaru about it later.

His Captain would know—Kohaku was sure of it.

Rin smiled up his way as she pranced happily at his side, humming a sweet tune as her feet tapped in rhythm to the packed road below.

What would Sesshoumaru think if he ever _did_ find out about the little girl, Kohaku then wondered.

Deep in his heart he knew somehow there would come a time when his Captain would riddle it out—Daiyoukai was intelligent and all the more capable of using his adept brain.

Even if it meant the noose or a painful, keelhauling, Kohaku was determined to stick with Rin from now on 'till the very end.

Damn Sesshoumaru if the arrogant idiot couldn't come to see that or understand the growing bond of friendship between the boy and girl.

Kohaku beamed back down at Rin and guided her towards the dock.

Her own grin only became bigger across her little angelic face.

He started out onto the pier and watched her skip after him, gazing over the edge occasionally and examining her reflection in the foamy blue water.

"Which one is yours ship, Kohaku?" she asked, coming up beside him and noting a seagull that dived down to the beach that had began scrounging through the sand with a blunt, orange beak.

"This one!" Kohaku motioned proudly to the Silver Star, its Jolly Roger flapping proudly in the coming breeze, the slap of cloth against the mast amusing and refreshing, the air stinging with salt and the smell of the ocean.

There was no need to hide the symbol… it _was_ Tortuga, after all.

Almost everyone here was a pirate anyway.

"Oh!" Rin gasped and ran over, gaping at the marvelous vessel as it rocked in the water.

"Kohaku!" her eyes were sparkling. "You haves the _best_ ship!"

The boy struggled to hide a blush, his cheeks turning an embarrassing shade of red.

"W-well…" he stammered.

"What about that one?" Rin cut in, pointing to the HMS Serpent, the second largest in the whole port.

Kohaku's almond-toned eyes followed her gesture. "That one belongs to Kagura…"

"Kagura?" Rin blinked and cocked her head.

"Oh…" Kohaku shoved his hands in his pockets and continued to stare towards the ship. "You don't know her."

"What's she like?" Rin questioned.

Kohaku sighed. He didn't know the woman that well either. "Er…" he struggled to think of something to say.

Rin listened eagerly.

"She's a bit on the cruel side," he started, remembering how Kagura had previously kicked Sesshoumaru. "She's strong though, and a good fighter. Sensible… but, um… quick-tempered."

"_Quick-tempered_, you say?" there was a growl in the air as Kohaku flinched, recognizing the determined tone almost immediately.

Kagura marched up there way from the shore, her blood-red eyes powerful and narrowed dangerously now, the look on her face just as lethal.

Rin was about to open her mouth to speak, but Kagura beat her to it.

"You're Sesshoumaru's cabin boy, aren't you?" she asked, remembering him from the skirmish out at sea.

"Yes, Captain," Kohaku gulped, deciding to be polite this time around.

Seeming quite amused, Kagura left him and glanced towards Rin. "Then who's the girl? She wasn't on the Silver Star before, as far as I know. What business do you two have near the ships, anyway?"

"Her name's Rin," Kohaku said. "She wanted to see the ships, so I took her over. She really likes yours, Captain… The HMS Serpent."

Miura leaned over a bit and leveled her gaze with Rin's.

"We're goings to sail out on a pirate ship!" the little girl squeaked innocently.

Kohaku groaned and slapped a hand to his face.

Kagura stood upright once more and seized Kohaku by his collar.

"You were going to take her on the Silver Star?" she demanded rather forcefully.

He fought to break free, but found his efforts were futile.

He knew there was no point in lying, Kagura knew the truth already.

"Y-yes, Captain," he choked on her grip and coughed a few times.

"Bilge Rat," she hissed, throwing him back onto the dock. "I should shoot you right where you stand…"

Kohaku saw his chance, thinking fast as she pulled the rifle from her back.

"You _know_ you can't shoot me!" he said smartly.

Kagura raised an eyebrow, egging him on.

The boy dusted off his clothing and furrowed his brow. "If you shot me, Sesshoumaru would go after you for sure. He'd blast your ship all the way to the bottom of the sea!"

Kagura laughed, "Over a mere cabin boy?"

Kohaku knew Sesshoumaru just would be furious over his death. Whether Daiyoukai would blast the HMS Serpent to the bottom of the sea or not… well… Kohaku wasn't _quite_ sure about that. It was probably an exaggeration.

"Yeah!" he said anyway.

"We have an alliance," Kagura reminded him. "Neither of us is to battle the other until both ships leave and Tortuga is out of sight."

"Then you couldn't shoot me here anyway," Kohaku retorted. "That's considered battling, isn't it?"

Rin watched with much interest and giggled every so often.

Kagura thought about that matter, then lowered her gun and sighed.

"And you'd never kill Sesshoumaru," Kohaku blurted out, taking his chances.

Miura shot him a dirty look, "What do you mean by that?"

Kohaku twiddled his thumbs.

"Well…" he muttered. "You like him, don't you?"

The pirate Captain seemed a bit shocked.

"No," she answered quickly.

"I'll make you a deal…" Kohaku smiled.

"A deal with a cabin boy?" Kagura scoffed.

Kohaku put on a sour face and continued. "You don't tell Sesshoumaru that I'm taking Rin on the Silver Star… in fact, if he finds out, you persuade him to let her stay…"

"What good does this do me?" she asked.

Kohaku went on, "You do that, and I won't tell Sesshoumaru that you like him."

"I don't," Kagura snapped back.

Kohaku knew she did. The obvious look was pasted all over her face.

"I won't tell Sesshoumaru…" Kohaku repeated. "If he knows, he'll use the information against you—I'm sure he will. He'll get off with all sorts of things when he…"

Kagura wouldn't let him continue. She reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Fine," she growled, resentment in her voice. "Deal."

They shook on it.

---

Sesshoumaru glanced down another alleyway, his golden eyes flaming as he scoffed quietly to himself before continuing down the road.

There didn't seem to be any signs…

Nothing, not even the slightest hint.

That angered the Captain greatly as he sassily placed another boot in front of the other with a rash click and sauntered over across the street to a rather large and noisy tavern.

He cautiously stepped inside and fiddled with the hat atop his head, gaze wandering about in the dim orange glow of many dying lamps, searching for something the naked eye could not see.

A few turned briefly and looked his way before chugging their drinks and chatting with one another once more.

The bartender stood boorishly at his spot behind a large and beaten lumber counter that ran down the entire length of the room.

Sesshoumaru sighed and brushed his silvery bangs from his face, a frown gently pulling on his lips.

If there was a where he would find any information, it was here in the bar.

Gossip spread incredibly quickly from man to man, although whether it was trustworthy or not was an entirely different question.

"Ye hear, the Silver Star's righ' here in 'is very port!" Daiyoukai heard someone whisper under his breath to a drunken neighbor.

"Curse the bloody rumors," the other gagged, then whipped his nose across his already dirty sleeve.

Sesshoumaru grimaced but kept listening.

"They isn't rumors, mate!" retorted the pirate who had spoken first. "Saw the damn thing in the harbor just some minutes ago!"

His comrade just grumbled and finished off his glass of rum.

"Go have a good look yerself, then, mate!" the other growled and bashed him hard over the head.

Sesshoumaru retreated to anther corner of the tavern, bowing his head so that the shadow of his hat concealed his pale face, his golden eyes still glittering maliciously in the darkness.

The two idiots hadn't said anything of great importance.

Interesting, that his ship was noted this quickly—however… it _was_, after all, the legendary Silver Star… the vessel from the stories said to have dated hundreds—possibly even thousands of years back, to the times of the great Leviathan and other awesome monsters of the sea.

Daiyoukai leaned against the wall and sighed.

He could hear the loud babble of everyone around him, all of their voices mixing ungracefully in to make an unpleasant racket. The breaking of glass along with ear-splitting shouts and curses in the background only filled in what could have been worse.

---

"You've got guts kid, I'll give you that much," Kagura said, smiling slightly in Kohaku's direction.

He wasn't expecting that reaction. Blinking his almond eyes slowly, the novice pirate found himself making a short bow in her direction.

Rin giggled and held onto his arm.

Kohaku looked down at her and beamed; she grinned innocently back.

"Come here a moment…" said Kagura, starting up the gangplank to the HMS Serpent. "Both of you."

Rin joyfully grabbed Kohaku's hand and led him up, full of excitement and energy.

The female Captain went briskly to her cabin and motioned for them to follow.

Rin released Kohaku and bounced over cheerily, but the boy lingered back, coming up wearily.

They were on a _pirate_ ship after all. And Kohaku knew all about a pirate's attitude by now.

Was it a trap?

He came up at Rin's side, ready to protect her in case this was only a clever scam.

Kagura rolled her eyes and smacked his hand from his sword.

"You won't be needing that," she growled coldly.

"S-Sorry Captain," he stammered back, swallowing a wad of spit caught in his throat.

Miura dropped back in a chair set near the back of the room, letting out a long but quiet sigh.

"Is something wrong?" Rin asked, running quickly over.

Kagura waved her away without a word.

The little girl returned to Kohaku's side and stood all military-like, her back straight and hands sharp at her side.

Kohaku laughed.

Rin blinked and then began to giggle as well, covering her mouth with her tiny hands.

Miura rubbed her temple and sighed again but she smiled ever so slightly.

Kohaku looked her way and brought Rin over slowly; he could hear his feet padding across the wooden boards beneath them.

"What is it you wanted to talk about, Captain?" he questioned.

Kagura got to her feet and began to pace around the cabin—almost in the same manner as Sesshoumaru, Kohaku thought.

"Daiyoukai…" she said slowly, furrowing her brow. "He's looking for the _Silver Star_, isn't he?"

"How did you know about that?" Kohaku responded almost at once, his heart pounding.

"He told me, boy," Kagura answered.

"When?"

"Just this morning."

Kohaku watched her sit down at her desk and pull something from one of the side drawers.

He wouldn't question her about Sesshoumaru just yet, although why his Captain might have told her, Kohaku wasn't all that sure.

He noticed she reluctantly fingered the object, then stood and pressed it to his palm.

"Give that to him," she hung her head, her ruby eyes blazing.

Kohaku looked down at the little package, "What is it?"

"I stole it from another pirate Captain some time ago," she tried to avoid his question. "The guy was a total idiot; I don't know how he got his hands on it in the first place."

"Yeah," Kohaku fingered the small parcel and turned it around, listening to it rattle. "But what _is_ it?"

Miura glared back at him. "Persistent, aren't you?" she hissed, eyeing the little envelope. "It's the _golden Key_…"

That was all Kohaku needed to hear.


	12. Thinking it Over

Silver Star, Chapter Eleven

"Thinking it Over"

Sesshoumaru frowned, a claw flying to the blade at his side.

Come to think of it… he and Kohaku never finished that swordfight he had long ago promised.

He'd have to seek the boy out tonight and give it another go.

The child needed training… that was for sure; Kohaku had done well in the sea skirmish with the HMS Serpent, however.

Two pirates had started to fight and were now standing atop the tables cursing rudely at each other.

One reached the pistol at his belt and shot the other, whose dead body fell down from the table and smacked another drunk in the head.

Then that man also stood up and began to shoot randomly around the bar, causing a panic as more and more became angry and reacted in a barbaric manner.

That was when Daiyoukai decided to take his leave. Without a sound he pushed his way through the alarmed crowd and darted out the door, a look of plain disgust pasted firmly across his face.

Revolting. What idiots.

He grimaced again and rolled his eyes, starting down the street and off towards the marketplace.

The Silver Star needed a restock of some gunpowder and cannon balls, and he knew just where to look for the cheapest barters for those large quantities of those two items.

---

"T-this…" Kohaku timidly fingered the tiny package he'd been handed.

"Give it to Sesshoumaru," Kagura said quietly.

"You want to help him?" the boy questioned, frowning in disbelief.

"No," Miura retorted immediately. "But I've no use for it."

"Why don't _you_ go look for the Silver Star?"

"I don't want to."

"I don't believe you."

"I've no interest in it, boy!"

"You're helping him," Kohaku concluded sourly as Rin clutched his arm and stared up at them both through her large, chocolate eyes.

"What's a Silver Star?" she asked innocently.

Kagura snapped, "Nothing you need to know about."

"Oh," the little girl shrugged the matter off and smiled at Kohaku.

"Can we go see the other ship?"

"Not now, Rin," the boy said, turning back to Kagura. "I don't get it," he narrowed his eyes, an eerie feeling crossing his conscience as he wrapped his fingers tight around the packaged key in his hands.

"Just go give it to him," Miura hissed.

Kohaku persisted. "Who did you get this from..?" 

"I told you," Kagura growled dangerously now. "I stole it."

"From _who_?" 

The Pirate Captain ignored him. "Don't tell Sesshoumaru who gave that to you."

"Not unless you tell me who you stole it from."

"I'm _not_ going to tell you," Kagura punched a fist down towards her desk, the crack of her bones against the wood splitting the air.

"Then I'm telling Sesshoumaru that you gave this to me," Kohaku firmly took Rin's hand and marched out of the cabin and down the gangplank, feeling uneasy and rather nervous.

Miura watched him go as she scowled and stood from her desk.

"Damn him," she clenched her teeth and thrust her fist at the wall.

---

"_Now_ are we goings to see your ship?" Rin complained as Kohaku led her down the dock.

"Yeah, that's where we're going, Rin!" Kohaku couldn't help but smile at her as he eyed the mighty Silver Star.

The little girl gasped again when they trudged up the gangplank and onto the main deck.

"It's so big!" her eyes widened even more and she pranced around, staring up at the gigantic pearly sails and noting how the rigging was all tied neatly, and the cannons strapped tightly in their possessions.

"Do you really like it that much?" Kohaku blushed and watched her dance.

"Rin loves it!" she exclaimed.

Kohaku laughed and remembered the two keys he now had in his possession.

"Erm, Rin?" he cocked his head to the side a bit.

"Yes?" his friend spun around another time and nearly fell down dizzy.

"Can you stay here a moment..? I have to go do something. But I'll be right back, I promise!"

"Okay," Rin sat down right where she was and pushed her chin into her palms.

Kohaku nodded his approval and started off towards Sesshoumaru's cabin. The boat rocked slowly beneath his feet, and the wonderful spray from the ocean was fresh and gentle on his face.

His feet went _thump_… _thump_… across the wooden floor as he pushed open the door and stepped daintily inside.

Thankfully, Sesshoumaru was not back yet and the room was completely empty. Everything was in order and things were tidily placed in their proper spots… except the silver key that Rin had stolen some time before.

Kohaku drew the little trinket from his pocket and placed it with a clunk down on his Captain's desk beside the large pile of maps.

He then peered down into his own closed fist, parts of the package visible between the slight openings in his hand.

Opening the bag and slipping the golden tool out into his palm, he realized that with this next piece, Sesshoumaru needed only to look for one more key until he could join the three Silver Stars.

Or at least, that's what Kohaku remembered, anyway.

He clearly could recall Daiyoukai saying that the three Keys could join all three Silver Stars… but how were they used? And where was the last one?

The boy shook his head of the thoughts and placed the golden key right beside its silver twin.

They were exactly the same, he noted, except for their unique metallic colors.

Even the symbols that decorated the handles and sides seemed the alike.

Kohaku turned quietly and retreated out again, looking back into the cabin and towards the two keys laying side-by-side on the desk before closing the door.

Rin, as instructed, remained exactly where she was, with her chin in her palms and a pleasant grin pulling back on her lips.

She hadn't moved ever since Kohaku left her there.

Upon seeing him she leaped up with joy and came running over.

"I waited," she said proudly.

"Thanks, Rin," the cabin boy couldn't help but laugh.

---

The pain in his left arm and back were beginning to haunt Sesshoumaru as he made his way down the streets of the busy market.

And as he neared his destination, the strong aroma of many spices and herbs began to irritate him as well.

His head was throbbing and he now realized how tired he was…

No matter, a Captain must not show his weakness.

…Even if he was now in constant physical and mental stress.

There was a little monkey screaming and jumping up and down in a strong, but small cage—and that only made Daiyoukai's condition worse.

He glared at the pitiful creature and it finally shut up, hanging its head and seeming to retreat to the corner of its metal crate.

The blood throughout his body caused him great pain as he walked, coursing through his veins like thousands of tiny needles, blistering hot and sharp like swords.

How he wished he could lay down in his bed and sleep.

He let out a rather arrogant sigh and pushed on, trying his best to disregard the relentless burning under his flesh.

The damn monkey began shrieking again as well, and Daiyoukai felt like giving the thing a hard-earned keelhauling.

But he wasn't about to waste his time doing that—there were things to be done, and very little time.

The pirate rounded the corner and made another sharp turn, finally escaping the creature's screaming and coming down a quieter alleyway.

It smelled like bilge and trash, and he nearly felt like fainting, but he now knew where to go.

The followed the narrow path for some time to come, then slipped into a beaten-in shack; it was made of good wood though, and held up nicely.

The lighting was poor and the place seemed deserted, but Sesshoumaru rapped his boot heel down hard on the floor and waited for an answer.

The boards beneath him creaked, and at first no one came.

A quill fell from a large oak-wood desk in the corner, and an old macaw perched on the coat rack awoke and stared down through beady black eyes.

"Rawkk!" it squawked, voice horse and fading. "Daiyoukai, rawrrrrk!"

Sesshoumaru was glad that the bird still remembered his name, so he tipped his hat in a sassy manner and continued to wait.

"Daiyooooukaiii!" the macaw mumbled his last name again before flying ungracefully down to the table and scratching the surface with its long, curving talons.

"I heard, quiet down now," an old woman made her way slowly down a flight of uneven steps, her back arched and a patch over her weary right eye. Her hair was thin and white, and her face covered with many wise wrinkles. She was short but independent and stable, and she made her way over to the pirate without any sign of fear.

"Ahh, Sesshoumaru," she smiled lightly upon seeing his face.

"Aye," he made a slight bow back. "Kaede, I'm a running a bit short on ammunition and gunpowder."

She hobbled towards the back of her store. "You've come to the right place," he said.

"Right place!" mocked the macaw.

"I'm willing to pay a couple bags of gold," Sesshoumaru sad nonchalantly.

"You always are," the old woman remarked.

She scribbled down a few notes on a piece of parchment before signing it and handing it to him.

"Show this my team down by the port… they can take you over to one of my storehouses and give you what you need…" she nodded firmly.

Sesshoumaru took it without a word and marched out.

She called after him, "Take care!"

He could hear the macaw even when he'd marched out of the alleyway and back onto the main road. "Rawrrrk! Take care!"

What a silly, silly bird.

---

"And this is where we all sleep!" Kohaku led Rin down into the hull of the boat, showing her his now rolled up hammock.

Rin held her nose. "It smells," she complained.

Kohaku scrunched up his face too. "Yeah… you have to get used to that," he admitted.

"Do you always sleeps down here?" the girl went on, bending down and poking one of the cannons with her bony finger.

"Yep," Kohaku yawned.

But where was he going to keep Rin?

Maybe it really _was_ best if he told Sesshoumaru straight away.

After all, he'd already made that deal with Kagura… so if his own Captain found out, she had promised to persuade him into letting Rin stay.

Kohaku wasn't sure yet, though. Maybe Daiyoukai would throw them both directly overboard if he ever knew.

Or maybe he would get the Cat… and Kohaku really didn't want to be strapped naked to a cannon and whip lashed until his skin on his back broke open.

On top of painful, that would be _awfully_ embarrassing…

"Kohaku, what's this?" Rin ran her fingers over one of the muskets that sat up against the wall.

"It's a gun, Rin," Kohaku grabbed her arm and led her away. "Don't touch it, alright?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized at once.

"Y-you didn't know," the boy told her, walking back up the stairs onto the deck.

The sun was now hidden by a few grayish clouds, and it looked like Tortuga was in for another brief rainstorm.

It was now late in the day, however, and if it rained over night, Kohaku didn't care.

Rin bumped into him on her way up and stared up at the sky as well.

"Have you evers watched the sun set?" she asked.

"I have," Kohaku replied honestly.

"Don't you thinks it's pretty?"

"Yeah. It's really pretty."

Rin skipped over towards the bow of the boat and sat down in front of the foremast, with her thin back leaning against the thick, hard wood.

She folded her small hands in her lap and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ahh," she let a calm breeze kiss her face and tug her short, tangled hair.

Kohaku came slowly over and sat beside her, following her excited gaze out into the sky, over the buildings and market, across the tops of many tropical trees and gliding over the ocean's waves and aimlessly deep into the carefully painted sky.

It was all pink and orange and yellow now. The Golden Star was a big ball of fantastic red, sinking down into the open water.

"I wants to sail where the sun goes down into the water," Rin said, after some time had passed.

Kohaku thought on that for a moment.

"Me to, Rin," he sighed, taking in a relaxing breath of salty sea air.

There was a nudge against his elbow and Kohaku realized that Rin had lowered her head onto him and was half-asleep.

He couldn't help but blush and watch her.

She was his friend. His very first friend.

There was nothing Sesshoumaru could do to take her away from him. Even if his Captain found out, Kohaku would fight the man himself to keep her at his side.

Because friends stick together 'till the end, he told himself.

Rin was so loyal and full of life. She was happy and bright, and always knew how to cheer him up.

He smiled just slightly and rested his hand over hers when he was dragged to his feet by his collar and punched in the ribs.

"What do you think you're doing, cabin boy?" a short, tough-looking man sneered, his wily blue eyes glinting in the approaching dark. "Who's your friend there?"

There were six other men standing behind him; Kohaku's heart skipped a beat as adrenaline surged like a river through him, and his shaking fingers reached for the sword at his side.

But the stranger set him down and laughed, roughly slapping the boy's hand from his cutlass's hilt.

"I don't want to fight," he said heartily, his voice low but scratchy and painted over with vigor.

"Does the Captain know about this little stow-away?" he asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"N-no," Kohaku stammered. He was in trouble again, and he knew it.

"Well then…" the pirate turned to the band of others behind him. "What do you think..?" he played with his long braid of raven-black hair. "_What_ are we going to _do_?" 


	13. One Man's Secret

Silver Star, Chapter Twelve

"One Man's Secret"

_An Author's Note before we continue with the story…_

_Some people have been wondering whether this is a SesshoumaruXKagura fanfic, or a KohakuXRin fanfic. Really, it's both. Although Kohaku and Rin are a little too young in this story to actually be a serious couple (Kohaku's eleven, Rin's just a little younger), they ARE being supported as a pairing in later years. They are VERY close friends for now, as it is a little obvious. Kagura was brought in late because I didn't want to rush anything; and Sesshoumaru is, by all means, paired with her. However, it will take some time for actual romance to get going between those two, for we all know Sesshoumaru refuses to show his emotions, and Kagura tends to lose her temper a lot. Don't be disappointed though…;D _

"What _are_ we going to do?" answered a rather slim and feminine-looking member of group, giggling and snorting quietly to himself. "Tell Sesshoumaru about the girl kid… that's what _I_ say."

"It's _Captain_!" spat Kohaku, his muscles tensing and his heart pumping faster and faster. "Call him Captain Daiyoukai!"

How could they disrespect the man with so much deliberate certainty?!

"Oh, pardon us," the shorter one with the braid spoke again. "But _Captain Daiyoukai_ should be informed about the stow-away brat."

"Sh-she won't hurt anyone!" Kohaku pleaded, afraid to lose his very good friend. His anger dissipated into the cooling night air and fear overtook him entirely.

"But it's another mouth to feed," a taller, bald male argued.

"Renkotsu's right," sighed their leader. "Sorry, cabin boy, she'll have to leave."

All but one nodded in agreement.

Rin took Kohaku's arm and squeezed herself up tight against him. There were little tears in her eyes and she was malevolently trembling, her skin now cold and her legs threatening to buckle beneath her.

"I think she can stay," Suikotsu proposed, his voice kind and defiantly serious.

The pirates all turned to the Silver Star's doctor and glared.

"What harm could she do?" he went on with a gentle shrug. His calm brown eyes drifted fearlessly from one face to the next, disregarding their angry expressions until he settled on Rin and Kohaku.

"Suikotsu…" the head of the group looked openly at him with a hint of question in his keen blue stare.

"Bankotsu," the other addressed him back. "I'm sure Sesshoumaru wouldn't mind if the cabin boy brought along just one friend… he's a kid; he needs someone his own age to spend time with."

"Rin, don't cry… please don't cry…" Kohaku meanwhile stroked the girl with his hands and let her lean into his shoulder. She was scared, and he was too.

What if Sesshoumaru didn't approve?

What if he and Rin were separated forever?

Kohaku wouldn't be able to take it if he'd have to leave Rin behind at shore.

They promised to be together always.

And friends keep promises. Friends don't lie.

The ship rocked powerfully to one side as a particularly rough wave crashed into her side and sloshed up high against the shore, bringing with it sea foam and broken shells washed up from deeper waters.

The seven pirates stood still and quiet, all of them exchanging looks with each other and then looking at Kohaku, then Rin, then back to their gang leader and out to the ocean again.

"What if Sesshoumaru _does_ mind?" their skinniest affiliate broke the silence, and everyone immediately turned to him.

"Go on, Jakotsu," Bankotsu said slowly, the first one to lock gazes with his comrade.

"Uhh," Jakotsu shrunk back a little, choosing his words, then licked his lips and said, "Well, Sesshoumaru would just kill them if he didn't approve. You know what the guy is like."

He drew a straight line across his throat with his pointer finger and made odd choking noises.

"So, why do we care if they're dead?" Bankotsu crossed his arms and frowned.

"Good point," Jakotsu nodded briefly and tapped a finger to his chin.

Rin had stopped crying at this point, but she was still miserable and hiding her face in Kohaku's sleeve.

The boy tried his best to hush her as the buccaneers babbled on, arguing about their existence before Bankotsu told them all to be quiet.

"We'll see what Sesshoumaru decides," he concluded, leaning over to Kohaku and Rin, making sure they paid attention. "If the Captain wants you dead… you'll die, and if he wants you to live… well… we'll see what happens next."

Kohaku swallowed the spit he felt caught in his throat and held on tightly to Rin.

---

Kaede's men near the waterfront would load the purchased cargo onto the Silver Star the very next morning.

That seemed to satisfy Sesshoumaru Daiyoukai as he sauntered arrogantly down the dock and towards his ship, which was bobbing gently up and down on the tide right where he had tied it.

All was dark and quiet, and only the sloshing of the wave on the shore and the soft, murmuring of the town could be heard through the night.

And the sharp clacking of his boots down on the planks as he stopped before the HMS Serpent and bowed his noble head for a moment.

The pirate Captain narrowed his cold, steely eyes and tightened a single fist at his side.

Slowly, but surly, he started up the gangplank to the deck of the ship.

"Are you always so full of yourself, Sesshoumaru?" Kagura called to him, closing the door to her cabin and stepping out.

"What would lead you to speak those words?" Daiyoukai said back, making a peaceful gesture by holding out two flattened, empty palms.

Kagura examined him and then decided that he meant no harm, before pelting him with another question, "Why are you here?"

"Why _am_ I?" Sesshoumaru looked around briefly before locking eyes with her.

He walked confidently across the deck and stopped a few feet away from the woman.

She growled a warning to him, but he refused to back off.

"You told me earlier you were trying to join the three Silver Stars…" Miura said slowly, taking note of his every move as he examined her vessel and took another step closer. "What are you looking for, Sesshoumaru?"

He sighed and lifted a claw to brush back his silver bangs as they blew past his forehead in a chilly wind, "I'm not so sure myself."

"Why try, then?" Kagura let him get a little closer.

He glared hauntingly at her, "Why live?"

The female crossed her arms over her breast and furrowed her brow.

Sesshoumaru watched her and sighed again, "I need a purpose, Kagura."

"A _purpose_..?" she scoffed back. "You're a _pirate_. You steal, you lie, you cheat, you kill—"

Daiyoukai cut her off, "I always used to ask myself something."

"What?" Kagura spat, beginning to lose her patience.

"What do we all live for?" Sesshoumaru gazed up to the brightening Silver Star in the dreary night sky, his voice now bitter.

"If you die, you are forgotten. But do something worth wild, then history will remember you forever…" he stared back at her. "Do you understand?"

Kagura gave him a thoughtful look and nodded slowly, "So you want to be famous, is that it?"

"No," Sesshoumaru answered quickly. "But I don't want to die for nothing."

"I see," Kagura muttered, wondering whether Kohaku had given Sesshoumaru the Golden Key yet as she had instructed him to do.

And she worried over little Rin, who could possibly be cast away and out of Kohaku's life forever if she failed in persuading Sesshoumaru to let the kid stay.

Sassy bastard, that man was.

"You're thinking about something," said Daiyoukai rather grimly, his trademark dead-pan expression now pasted across his face, his golden eyes glinting in a tricky way through the star-filled darkness.

"So what?!" Kagura snarled, her anger once again boiling up.

"I was simply making a statement," Sesshoumaru said crossly, now baring his fangs.

"Well… why the hell do you care about what I'm thinking?"

"I don't."

"Then shut up."

Sesshoumaru scowled, his blood now hot and quick through his veins.

Was he letting this _woman_ get the better of him?

It made no sense.

How could those basic, insignificant words pain him so much?

'_Then shut up.'_

It stung like fire within him and brought forth rage and disappointment.

What the hell..?

---

"Let them be, Bankotsu. They have to rest. We'll deal with this in the morning," said Suikotsu plainly.

He looked down at the two children and nodded in an assuring manner.

Kohaku took off with Rin almost immediately and sprinted down below the deck.

His tiny chest was heaving, and he could hear Rin breathing heavily beside him too as he slid down against the inner wall of the ship and gulped for more air.

The little girl held tight onto him and fought to keep the tears from coming to her big brown eyes again.

"That was scary…" she squeaked.

Kohaku swallowed hard and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Kohaku," she said quietly after a few minutes of silence slunk by.

"For what?" the boy blinked and stared down as Rin pushed her cheek to his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"For being my friend," Rin answered as if it ought to be obvious, then she curled up tighter and fell asleep.

Kohaku couldn't help but smile as he watched her rest.

There was a tiny smile on her face and never for a second did her pleasant grip on him slacken.

She was happy.

He let that thought echo out over and over in his mind until it dragged him into a world of his own dreams as well, and everything turned dark and wondrous.

---

Sesshoumaru frowned and paced about the deck, anger locked up inside him and screaming to be let out.

But he kept his face expressionless and cryptic, his eyes icy and his lips pulled slightly down.

Kagura eyed him carefully, her own blood-red ruby gaze following him as he tread about before her.

At last he stopped and clicked his boot heels together.

"Kagura…" he addressed her.

She muttered, "Yes?"

He could feel a single drop of sweat slip down the back of his neck as he came swiftly within a face-length away from her, "Would you care to join me for dinner tomorrow? I've a few matters I'd very much like to… discuss with you."

Kagura blinked, a bit taken aback by his question, but she smiled at him and raised a curious eyebrow.

"I will," she said, a quick grin from Sesshoumaru satisfying her as the wind howled what could have been a warning in her ear.

"Six o'clock," Sesshoumaru told her, already half-way down the gangplank.

She watched him go before slipping down the stairs and into the hull of the ship.

Some of her crew were there, all asleep in their hammocks, the others probably taking advantage of their land leisure and resting somewhere in town.

"Sango!" she hissed, stepping around a large coil of rope that tethered one of the cannons firmly in place.

"Sango!"

An individual stirred before sitting upright and nearly rolled out of her bed and crashed to the floor.

"Hmm..?" she was only half awake and struggling to pull her hair back into a high ponytail.

Her pretty brown eyes were tired and only partially open, and her mouth wide in a yawn.

"Sango," Kagura whispered again, becoming a bit agitated.

The pirate leaped from where she lay and scampered over as fast as her sore legs would allow.

"Yes, Captain?" she stood straight and looked Kagura in the eye.

Miura looked her over and said, "I'm invited to a dinner at six tomorrow… you are to accompany me."

"Beg you pardon, Captain… But with who, may I ask?" Sango inquired, trying now to blink the sleep away.

Kagura reached back and ran her slim fingers over the musket strapped to her back. "Are you familiar with Captain Daiyoukai..?"

Sango blinked and fished through her memory. "Erm… I recall an odd-looking man you recently struck a deal with, Captain."

She had a brief recollection of Kagura also kicking the idiot between the legs—where it hurt—but she wasn't going to add that into her reminiscence.

"That's him," Miura said quiet contentedly.

Sango nodded and continued to listen, keeping eye-contact while dusting off her pants and tightening the belt slung over one shoulder and across her chest, for it had loosened while she had been asleep.

"He's invited me over tomorrow," Kagura went on. "But I'm not going over alone… not with a bunch of bloody bastards… you _are_ willing to come?"

"Yes, Captain!" Sango chimed.

Kagura seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "Alright. Six o'clock… at your best, Sango." She disappeared back up the stairs—to her cabin to sleep.

The female pirate ripped the band from her cherry wood colored hair and climbed back into her hammock as Kagura trotted off.


End file.
